Truss storage before install...

[WI/MI Border]

I'll be receiving 24' trusses next week if the weather cooperates. They will not be installed until June at the earliest. Can I store the trusses on their side? Building a support to keep them upright would present a challenge I'd like to avoid. Right now I have a level 4x4 base, but, only the center and about 2' from the ends. I know I'll have to add more support, probably every two feet.

If I add more level support can the trusses sit for up to three months?

 

[Jeff Ivers]

That is the only way I have ever seen them stored. They will warp a bit, but are easily pulled into alignment when installing.

 

[BurtEggley]

the truss company here stores them that way.

 

[mike93lx]

Why get them so early?

 

[beltfeed]

Mine have been store from December to now on their sides stacked 5' tall. I put a dozen pallets under them to keep them off the ground. I also got some 12 mill tarps from harbor freight to cover them with. If you have them on pallets you can get ropes under them to keep the tarps on.

 

[geneg]

I'll be receiving 24' trusses next week if the weather cooperates. They will not be installed until June at the earliest. Can I store the trusses on their side? Building a support to keep them upright would present a challenge I'd like to avoid. Right now I have a level 4x4 base, but, only the center and about 2' from the ends. I know I'll have to add more support, probably every two feet.

If I add more level support can the trusses sit for up to three months?

keep them up out of the mud & use pallets/cribbing to maintain them somewhat straight. $50 worth of HF or Menards blue tarps will keep the wood brite instead of weathered. Always looks like **** to look up in a new building to see muddy grey trusses or structurals with boot prints all over everything.

beltfeed typed faster!

 

[WI/MI Border]

Why get them so early?

Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I'm not sure I will tarp them as they have been exposed to weather at the lumber yard since early Feb. If I can scrounge a couple up I might cover them tho. And once the project is complete they won't be seen.

Early? Well, several reasons Mike...

• Avoid the summer rush. I'll have them for when I need them which on my DIY solo build might be in a month or might be in two months or more.
• Because I was putting the build package together in January and I didn't see any advantage to waiting. I also thought they would take more than five days to deliver to the lumber yard! They're not really a "custom" size so they might have been hammering out batches of 6/12, 24' standards. I doubt they stock unsold trusses but maybe with common sizes they do?

 

[Rusted Nut]

They will store fine on their side, as long as they are supported so they don’t sag. They a ***** to install if they’re sagged or warped.

 

[nadogail]

If they become weathered you could shoot a coat of primer on them before you erect them. I happen to prefer Kilz, but Zinzer is good too

 

[mike93lx]

Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I'm not sure I will tarp them as they have been exposed to weather at the lumber yard since early Feb. If I can scrounge a couple up I might cover them tho. And once the project is complete they won't be seen.

Early? Well, several reasons Mike...

• Avoid the summer rush. I'll have them for when I need them which on my DIY solo build might be in a month or might be in two months or more.
• Because I was putting the build package together in January and I didn't see any advantage to waiting. I also thought they would take more than five days to deliver to the lumber yard! They're not really a "custom" size so they might have been hammering out batches of 6/12, 24' standards. I doubt they stock unsold trusses but maybe with common sizes they do?

All good reasons. I doubt they stock them, you may have gotten lucky on timing.

I ordered some 16' trusses a couple months ago and it only took them a few days to get delivered. I had a million cut offs from the walls, so I laid a bunch out, had the trusses dropped on them and tarped, but mainly to stop them from being frozen together and icy

 

[beltfeed]

Mine have been store from December to now on their sides stacked 5' tall. I put a dozen pallets under them to keep them off the ground. I also got some 12 mill tarps from harbor freight to cover them with. If you have them on pallets you can get ropes under them to keep the tarps on.

I should have mentioned don't buy pallets. Look on Marketplace or Craigslist, they are on there all the time for free. Some folks try to get $5 or $10 each for them but plenty of folks will put them on for free.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd store them flat and keep them off the ground.

If you cover them, don't bring the tarp completely to the ground. Once the Sun comes out, it'll heat the tarp up and draw the moisture out of the ground. . . . about like covering firewood.

 

[reader2580]

Menards stocks common sizes at their truss yard. They say they make common sizes in long production runs to cut down costs. My trusses were at the local Menards in about five days.

 

[WI/MI Border]

I thought I would update my truss package condition after being at the Menards store (no roof over their storage site) since March 2nd. Delivered to my site in April and about to install now in early June. No issues with weathering. Everything stayed nice and straight.