While most home builders will outsource the construction of roofing trusses the rafter supports of the roof itself learning to frame a roof yourself is one of the true arts of carpentry and a basic primer is covered below.
Flat wood roof framing.
We re going to use 2x8 lumber to make the roof frame.
Flat roofs are always built at a slight incline at least 1 8 inch per foot.
Now that the walls are rigid from the structural sheathing we re going to tackle the framing the roof.
Slate metal tiles shingle and others.
Old asbestos roofs are often replaced with flat roofs.
At the same time the folded roof may vary in the slant from eighteen degrees.
The majority of roofs are framed using wood trusses 1 with a few using wood with steel bracing.
Sizes of joists needed for flat roof construction.
However it is also possible to build larger roofs using steel framing.
Framing a roof is the last step in framing new construction.
Yet for historic modern style buildings like this old house s cambridge tv project flat roofs are at the core of the architecture meant to reflect the broad horizontal lines of the natural landscape.
You can do this with a foam layer that exactly fits your roof.
When framing a flat roof you will need to create a slight incline.
Wood vs steel framing.
Of course you don t need to live in a modern house to deal with a flat roof.
Steel has a much higher cost than wood nearly twice as much for materials.
It is not ideal for snow or heavy rain but modern materials and proper drainage have helped.
So any timber joists that are used need to be strong enough to support this weight.
Flat roofs aren t architecturally logical as rain and snow will shed much more quickly off a sloped roof.
This will help you create a flat roof framing plan.
Think of a flattened hip roof.
A flat roof has a slope of 1 8 per foot to 2 12.
As you may imagine there is a fair amount of weight involved here in terms of boards felt etc.
If you build a flat roof try to have it slope in multiple directions to drains or gutters.
The coating material for a slanted shed roof can be varied.