Garage rafters

[bbertram]

I need some help. I moved to Brandon in February and recently I have started work on my garage. The garage is about 16' wide and much longer, not sure how long. There is a wall about 3/4 of the way up the garage dividing it, one area was used for parking vehicles and the other side for a workshop. It was covered in some thin plywood. The studs are still in place.

I want to remove that middle wall and make a big long garage, then wire it properly and then insulate and either drywall or plywood the walls and then put up shelves and paint, etc. There are 8 rafters missing, pretty much every second one or so, in some places there are three rafters in a row. So what I want to do is install the remaining rafters before I remove that wall.

How do you install additional rafters into your garage with the roof already on? I can't get the boards up there. The only way I can see is to cut the 2x4 in half and then brace the cut one once its placed, but that sounds wrong and would leave the board much weaker.

Just wondering what everyone thinks. The home inspector recommended me to add the rafters if I want to remove that wall. Thanks.

[vinnie]

sorry bb not a carpenter so i dont know good luck

[Wolf]

If braced properly, it could be done for a roof truss. Commercially made trusses are just that, several pieces put together with truss plates holding them, and a 16' span is not that wide to begin with. Is there a ceiling in there that is stopping you from getting full length boards up there ? Any pics of the garage ?

[QUADZILLA]

Duh? you want me to come weld it in for ya?

[Wolf]

Duh? you want me to come weld it in for ya?


Tell me that's NOT what you did with the ones I sent to your cottage !!! :no: LOL

[QUADZILLA]

Tell me that's NOT what you did with the ones I sent to your cottage !!! :no: LOL
Duh? you mean I wuzzn't sposed too?:no:

[bbertram]

The gap between studs is 22.5". I don't have any pictures but fitting a 16' long board up there is impossible because of the existing trusses and they are resting ontop of the wall. So the wall is actually narrower than 16'. You see what I'm saying? Try to imagine it, I have to take the 16' board and put it in sideways but I can't because the existing trusses are in the way.

[Mr.Excitement]

is the 16' including the tails?? if you are adding you don't need to put in tails, why not just double up some trusses... cut boards to match, and asseble beside it, using the metal finger plates to asseble the new truss, and nail them together...

[bbertram]

I'm a newbie at all of this carpentry stuff and I don't know the proper terms, I'm not sure what a tail is, is that the part resting on top of the wall? So it would be OK to brace the trusses already there? There is no metal thing that new garages use, this guy was built in '79. All 2x4 construction, as far as I can see anyway.

[Wolf]

The tail is the part of the truss which extends past the wall creating the overhang on the exterior... nothing to worry about in your case. Don't try and use the truss plates to assemble the pieces, they are a pain in the ass to use without a press. Simply double up your 2x4's, stagger the joints and use bolts to secure them.

[bbertram]

OK, if I double them up should I double them up all the way? I mean the trusses right now sit on top of the wall. Won't there still be a fair amount of stress on the orginal trusses if I dont double them up all the way? If I just do to the inside of the studs am I doing it correctly? Is there any other way to support these trusses? Here is a picture, hope it helps. Also how many bolts? 2 on each end and one in the middle? Thanks.


Oh yah, you said stagger the joints, does that mean double up on the truss and every second one I switch sides?

[Wolf]

Here's kinda a rough idea what I mean. Keep in mind this is not a blueprint or to scale...and I forgot the centre pieces but I think you get the idea.

With it only being a 16' span it really shouldn't be hard to over-build it so that you won't have any problems.

[Wolf]

oops... reduced that a little too much ! LOL

Anyway, the drawing on the right is looking at the truss from underneath showing the layout of the boards. The red lines are your bolts... 1/2" x 4 1/2" hex head bolts with washers will be more than adequate.

[bbertram]

Thank you, that helps me out alot. Should I reinforce every truss or just the ones more in the middle or all of them, I only have 8 boards right now, just wondering which are the more important ones, I would think every second truss in the middle of the garage first?

oh yah, when I remove the other wall, i will have some left over 2x4s. Can I use them to reinforce the other trusses as well or should i only use 16' lengths, is it important for the boards to be whole or is it ok if they are in two pieces? Thanks.

[Wolf]

Do all the trusses need to be reinforced ? If so, then you could start with every second one but make sure you get them all done.

Using up any leftover/reclaimed lumber is a great way to cut costs, just make sure it is still sound material and not rotted or damaged. Even with it only being 16 feet across, I would not use any more than two pieces to complete the span, and remember to bolt it in such a way so that all the boards are locked together and take up the weight. Buying new lumber for the trusses and using the old wall studs as bracing may be a better way to go.

..and having a second look at my drawing I would change one more thing.. Move the joints on either side a little closer to the ends. This would result in even less flex in the middle of the truss.

[Xxploder400]

Do you have the 2x4s going up to the roof already? My garage was the same way(I think) it had every roof board on 24" centers going to the peak but was missing half the bottom 2x4s that tie the ends of the roof boards together at the wall tops...the lower part of the truss. My span was only 14 feet and I added these boards in. I sandwiched my boards up to the sides of the roof boards and attached with 3" wood screws. You think they won't fit but you would be surprised...if you angle cut the ends and put one end up at a time and swing the other end in from the side...they will bend pretty good too if need be. I also turned my "shed" that was on the end of the garage into shop space and took the wall down...its 32' long now! If your wondering the sheer strength of a few #8 or #10 wood screws is waay up there...I've had zero problem.

One thing though...if your going to use this space for storage(rafters) you might want to add a verticle 2x4..tied near the peak...otherwise your horizontal gets stressed. Hope this helps...when in doubt OVER BUILD