What is the frame of a roof called?

There are two common ways of framing the roof of a house: with pre-manufactured trusses, or with rafters and ceiling joists, commonly called stick framing.

What are the structures of a roof?

First is the frame of the roof structure. The truss is the “skeleton” of a roof, made of a series of parallel beams. The rafters are the supporting beams that run from the apex to the bottom of a roof, holding up the truss. Eaves are the edges of a roof, typically overhanging the vertical exterior walls of a building.

What is a framing roof?

Roof framing is one of those carpenter skills that appears quite complicated, and indeed, some roof designs are difficult. Roofs are basically five types: shed, gable, hip, gambrel and mansard. Another common design in the Northeast is the “saltbox,” which is a gable roof with one longer side.

What are the different types of roof frame?

Four basic roof styles, flat, shed, gable and hip, serve as the foundation for complex styles, such as mansard, with its multiple hip planes, and gambrel, which features more than one gable plane. A Dutch gable is a combination of hip and gable styles.

What are roof rafters called?

A roof truss is a pre-manufactured roofing component — what you'd typically consider to be the rafters of a roof. Trusses are manufactured offsite, and then shipped already assembled to a construction site to reduce on-site labor and speed the building process along.

Roof Components

What is roof joist?

Roof joists

A roofing joist is a horizontal member that runs across an open space. Depending on the construction, they may lie flat or be pitched. They can be concealed or exposed, and there will be more joists than beams. Roof joists generally join opposing walls and support the ceiling below and/or the floor above.

What is a roof stud?

They form the foundation for attachment of the roof boards onto which the final roof covering is fixed. They are typically about 8-10 inches wide. The main difference between joists and rafters is that joists are usually more horizontal to the ground while rafters are used for steeply sloped roofs.

What is a roof overhang called?

What Is a Soffit? Your roof by necessity, will often times extend over the walls of your home. This overhang can go by a few names, such as the house eaves or the rafters of your roof. The underside of this overhang, when given a finished appearance, is known as the soffit, which means “something fixed underneath”.

What's a roof purlin?

In steel construction, the term purlin typically refers to roof framing members that span parallel to the building eave, and support the roof decking or sheeting. The purlins are in turn supported by rafters or walls.

What is truss framing?

A truss-frame consists of a roof truss and a floor truss joined by exterior wall studs. The wide variety of possible roof and floor truss designs and combinations is illustrated by figure 1. End walls may be truss-framed with field-assembled stud infill, prefabricated in conventional construction, or built on site.

What is a truss framed roof?

What is a roof truss? Essentially, roof trusses create a roof's frame. They determine the shape of the roof and ceiling while providing support for the roof. Trusses are pre-engineered in a factory using lightweight materials, like 2x4s, and are shipped to the construction site.

What are the parts of a roof frame called?

What are 5 parts of the roof frame?

The Five Components of a Roofing System

In sloped roofing structures there are five basic components that need to come together to allow the roof to do its job and protect the home from the elements. These five components include the roof covering, sheathing, roof structure, flashing and drainage.

What are the parts of roof framing?

What is the difference between a purlin and a joist?

Joists are always horizontal. Rafters are only found in roof structures, never under floors. Purlins are crossbeams supported by rafters. They provide more area for attaching the roof decking.

What is truss and purlin?

Trusses help to distribute the roof load out to supporting walls. Purlins are laid across the trusses in a home to provide the structure for the roof.

What is the difference between a batten and a purlin?

Purlins and battens are not synonymous. Purlins are placed on edge and battens are placed on the flat.

What is a soffit and fascia?

You're asking “what's a soffit?” A Soffit often refers to the exposed underside of a roof overhang, or eave, while fascia is often used to create a smooth appearance on a roof's edge and protect the roofing and interior of a home from severe weather.

What are eaves and fascia?

Eaves—The lower edge of a roof (often overhanging beyond the edge of the house). Fascia—A decorative board extending down from the roof edge either at the eave or at the rake. Felt—The bituminous paper used by roofers, usually made of a combination of asphalt and either paper or rags.

What are the boards on a roof called?

Roof decking (or roof sheathing) is the wooden boards that make up the framing of your roof. These boards are what your shingles and other roofing components are installed on. There are 2 types of wood roof decking: plank decking and sheet decking.

What is rafter framing?

Rafters are long wooden boards used for the frame of the roof, also known as stick framing. Rafters are made on the job site by the roofers and they are typically cut into 2x10 or 2x12 beams, which slope down from the peak of the roof. Ceiling joists then help secure the rafters and the exterior walls.

Are trusses and rafters the same thing?

Rafters and trusses are those that support the roof. Though both rafters and trusses are triangles in shape, the trusses have more triangle webs inside the principle frame. Rafters consist of sloping outer beams which provide support.

What is a roof stringer?

Used in a weak or scaly top in narrow rooms or entries that have short life. It is done by placing lagging bars running parallel with the working place above the header. It has limited uses because of necessary additional height and because its weight rests on the center of the header.

What are roof timbers called?

Rafters. Sometimes referred to as common rafters or spars, these inclined lengths of timber rise from the eaves at the bottom of the roof to the ridge apex at the top. Rafters support a pitched roof covering.

What are ceiling joists called?

Typical ceiling joists used in home construction are made of wood, and often called stud joists. There are, however, metal versions, usually manufactured from steel or iron, for use in larger, sturdier structures, such as manufacturing plants, or skyscrapers.