Roof Trusses Vs Roof Rafters

Why roof trusses are more popular than rafters.

Roof trusses vs roof rafters.

Both will do a fine job in keeping the roof over your head but each functions in a slightly different manner. There are both advantages and disadvantages while making a roof with rafters or trusses. Trusses are composed of multiple beams for added support. Rafters could take an entire week to be installed whereas trusses could be installed in a day which means trusses could save a lot of time.

There are significant cost differences when considering a truss style roof vs. It s primarily because roof trusses have replaced rafters in most home designs because they are less expensive. Rafters cost more than trusses as their installation process is labor intensive. They re more economical to build and offer the same or greater roof strength.

You will find rafters in most older homes as they were the popular construction method for many years. A rafter style roof for a home. Trusses on the other hand are pre engineered with internal webbing to support the span of the roof. Trusses are gradually replacing the conventional rafters to the point that nowadays more than 80 percent of new residential construction uses trusses to support the roof.

Roof trusses have smaller wood members that are engineered to provide a similar strength without all the expensive wood. A truss roof system does not use a ridge beam as the backbone of the roofing system. Trusses are prefabricated roof structures whereas rafters are assembled on site. As trusses are prefabricated they may be costlier than rafters however the installation and labor cost involved in roof rafters is comparatively higher than trusses.

Roof framing has undergone a quiet revolution over the past half century. We will also outline the best uses of each so you can decide whether rafters or trusses are the right choice for your building project. It s really about being efficient with both materials and labor. Rafters and trusses have long been employed in making roofs of houses.

Both trusses and rafters are triangular shaped planks with the trusses containing more webs inside the main frame. The two main types of roof supports are rafters and trusses. Though both rafters and trusses are commonly employed in conjunction it is possible to go with either of them while designing a roof. This design allows for a single rafter to span from the ridge to the exterior wall which creates the maximum amount of attic space.

In this guide we will define roof trusses and rafters and explain the pros and cons of each for comparison.