It looks like a have a few more months before my 24x26 pad gets poured so I've still got time to figure out the truss design. My goal was to have 9 foot walls max but I need 11 foot roof clearance at least where the car roof will be (for a 4 post lift). I've landed on 6/12 roof slope as this gives me 11 feet 3 feet in from the wall. What I'm considering now is getting a set of conventional attic storage trusses but not installing them on the middle 10 feet of the garage where the car roof will be. So I will have trusses at the front 8 feet and the back 6 feet. In the middle vaulted area I will install a ridge beam to the ends of the trusses and stick build rest. I'll use a raised chord/tie to connect the 2 top chords. I've got a few concerns a) how to connect the i-beam to the trusses b) will 2x4 top chords be adequate. c) should I get an architect and will they know how to deal with this or do I worry too much?
Wacky truss idea
- Thread starter Matti
- Start date
When I built my 3 bay garage I used scissor trusses for the middle bay. There are several ways a premanufactured truss will accomplish what you want without stick building it. Search the site as there have been several threads with pics discussing the same topic. 
boiler7904
Well-known member
A conversation with one of the engineers at the truss company that you plan on using will answer all of your questions. They'll be able to design a connection for the ridge beam to the truss (which will probably end up being a two or three ply truss). Top chord size will be determined during truss engineering - might have to go to a 2x6 top chord for snow loading. For the most part, a good truss company can build whatever you can draw. We are always getting some sort of weird truss on a job to accommodate stairwells, vaulted ceilings, attics, mechanical equipment, etc. The truss company will be very particular about temporary and permanent bracing with your scenario.
Whether you need an architect or not depends on the requirements of the town you're building in. Other than the roof framing, it sounds like a pretty straight forward building. You might want to consult with a structural engineer instead to review the truss company's design and spec any framing hardware and lumber that you need to install yourself.
Whether you need an architect or not depends on the requirements of the town you're building in. Other than the roof framing, it sounds like a pretty straight forward building. You might want to consult with a structural engineer instead to review the truss company's design and spec any framing hardware and lumber that you need to install yourself.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
With whatever dimensional lumber that you are going to build your rafters with, I would sister them alongside the truss and then let the ridge beam attach to the rafters. You can then plate the ridge beam to the rafter. So in essence, you are only talking a 2" area at the very top of the truss and ridge beam that is not fastened to one another.
Wardster
Well-known member
x2 on scissor trusses.....if they will give you the clearance you need.
-Wardster
-Wardster
When I built my 3 bay garage I used scissor trusses for the middle bay. There are several ways a premanufactured truss will accomplish what you want without stick building it. Search the site as there have been several threads with pics discussing the same topic.
I have looked at scissor trusses but they won't work as they want the inside slope to be half the outside slope which means I would need 12/12 slope making my garage roof too high. Scissor trusses give very little extra height unless you have giant spans or plan to use the middle bay of which a two car garage doesn't have
I was trying to avoid using architects as they aren't interested in small jobs like this. I will go back to the truss company with my design and have another shot at it. I was thinking that I might have to go to 2x6 top chords which will increase the truss costs and weight but there may be no choice. I told the city I was using conventional pre-engineered trusses so this will only be half of the truth
I may go back to them once I get a design finalized.What does plating mean? Can you clarify? Thanks.
blkhonda1991
Well-known member
I was trying to avoid using architects as they aren't interested in small jobs like this. I will go back to the truss company with my design and have another shot at it. I was thinking that I might have to go to 2x6 top chords which will increase the truss costs and weight but there may be no choice. I told the city I was using conventional pre-engineered trusses so this will only be half of the truth
Architects dont design the trusses anyway...so good call on that, just work with the truss company and hopefully you'll come up with a viable solution
twostory
Well-known member
Talk directly with a truss company. They have all the design software to figure out what you need.
Just tell them the building dimensions, eave width, roof slope and what you want the attic to look like. They can figure out and build just about anything.
The design advise/work is free, they just want to sell trusses.
Just tell them the building dimensions, eave width, roof slope and what you want the attic to look like. They can figure out and build just about anything.
The design advise/work is free, they just want to sell trusses.
porschedude996TT
Well-known member
My truss company came up with trusses for me using there software program. I'm building a 30' x 40' with 10' 4-1/2" wall on 5-1/2" stem wall. The first and last 10' on the 40' run are flat ceiling using storage trusses. The center 20' will have scissor trusses. The roof is going to be 6/12 on the outside which yields a 4/12 on the inside. The allows enough room for a 4 post lift.