Traditional Timber Roof Structures

A timber roof truss is a structural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof trusses usually occur at regular intervals linked by longitudinal timbers such as purlins the space between each truss is known as a bay.

Traditional timber roof structures.

If the structural frame of load bearing timber is left exposed on the exterior of the building it may be. Traditional cut timber pitched roof structures were in common use up until the 1970s. This reflects the weatherproofing requirements of older roofing materials like thatch and peg tiles. The rafters distribute the load of the roof covering and structure to the external walls.

A truss roof using factory made trusses which are delivered to site complete and just erected. For solid timber members in floors ceilings and roofs for dwellings and various companies do online calculation software. A cut roof this is the traditional method of cutting the timber on site and building up the roof using rafters ridge boards joists and purlins etc the exact details being determined by the size of roof size of timbers etc. In larger roofs lateral restraint typically in the form of collars spanning between the rafters prevents the structure from spreading outwards.

Rafters have a tendency to flatten under gravity thrusting outwards on the walls. The finished structure is readily adaptable. It is commonplace in wooden buildings through the 19th century. Bs en 1995 1 2 eurocode 5.

The traditional option is steeply pitched rarely less than 35. Trada have published span tables in a new softback book called eurocode 5 span tables. Not only is the volume large enough to convert into living space but the structure can generally be easily.