wanted to pick your brains about an idea, a previous owner of my home converted the carport, which housed the attic scuttle hole, into an extra room and relocated the scuttle hole to a closet near the eaves and unfortunately, right in the path of the home’s incoming 110 line bundle, I’ve dealt with it for years but need to run cat5 lines to a new room and want to add more insulation, I don’t want to go through that closet to do so, there is no where else in the home that is logical for the scuttle hole so I decided to install a door in the gable on the north side of the house, once I got in to the attic to survey the gable I did not like what I was looking at, the door must open outward and I’m not sure how I want to go about it, I was hoping I could find a small framed in door that I could retro in but no luck, I am also considering making the door out of the existing gable panel that I cut out, I’d love to hear your suggestions, the height of the door can not exceed 51″
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You've got trusses which can't be cut and not much room to work in. I'd be thihking more along the lines of a hatch rather than a door. I'd make it using the existing RB & B so it wouldn't stand out so much.
Yeah, you can't cut that truss diagonal, and the gable end frame (hardly qualifies as a truss) just beyond the diagonal is kinda wimpy. A hatch is probably the best you can do, located so that it's not blocked too badly by the diagonal. If the hatch is made too large you'll have to reenforce the framing with some 2x4s turned the other direction.
what are your thoughts about this? the red bars are new 2x4's, a strong header and 2 supports to transfer the diagonal through the frame. Admittedly the gable is very wimpy.
You're got trusses so you don't need a header but you still can't cut that diagonal
Don't cut the truss.
I do see anorther possible solution for you though. Move the door over 2 bays to the right as in your photo amd install an outswing door. You still can't cut that truss diagional but it's so low in that bay that you could step over it with no trouble. I've actually installed doors in gable ends like thta although down here in Florida our gable trusses don't have the diagnals so it was just a matter of getting a cut down door.
On my own house I'm going to make a fake vent that will be hinged to give me access to the far end of the attic. I don't store stuff there but do need access to A/C, wiring and bath fans.
Reframe the thing to be a gable-end truss. This isn't really a truss at all but it has the same shape as the trusses in the roof. They are commonly used on gable ends because there is (usually) continuous bearing. A gable-end truss is actually a simple stud wall. As long at you take the roof load to the foundation there should be no problem. Your red lines shoud extend to the roof line.
If that end wall can take the uniformly distributed load that will be imposed by following my procedure, then I'll bet they won't have a bit of trouble with it.
If there is exterior sheathing and/or siding nailed to that truss, then it actually it isn't acting like a truss at all.
And don't misconstrue what I'm saying... he cannot cut any of the interior trusses. Those that span from rim to rim must remain intact.
But look closely -- the gable end and the truss that has the problem diagonal are two separate pieces. It's hard to tell how close together they are.
Dan, that truss is on or immediately (as in no gap) adjacent to the end wall of the structure. There is no need for a truss in this position as long as the end wall can absorb the roof load. (A very small load, by the way.) You know this, Florida knows this, my dog knows it.
What I KNOW is that you can't cut. Period.
Here's a win-win!
OK, florida, you're right. Truss webs shoud never be cut. So, instead, lets just remove the truss completely and place it carefully on the ground. Now, lets frame a stud wall to fill in that gable and support the edge of the roof. While we're at it, we'll frame in the gable end door that the OP wants.
Everybody happy?
I don't understand your point here but I'll play one more round. If you know you can't modify the truss you also know you can't remove it either. Your contention that the OP just build a frame wall won't pass muster either
Not only that but if the OP lives in a wind zone he may be required to add gable end bracing to the existing gable end trusses.
http://www.floridadisaster.org/hrg/content/roofs/bracing.asp#gable_end_retrofit_guide