I am building a 14′ addition onto the back of my hip roof ranch. I had planned to remove the back of the hip(jacks and 1 common), continue the ridge, and fill in with new jacks from the new ridge to the existing hip rafters. In my initial contact with my building dept, the inspector said the re-framed portion of the roof would be subject to the new codes that took effect in Jan and would have to be either doubled 2×6’s or single 2×8’s. The existing roof is a 5/12 hip with 2×6 commons/jacks and 2×8 hips. I would like your opinions on whether I should just reframe from the end of the original ridge all the way back or mix and match leaving the existing hips in place. Any info you guys could supply on extending an existing hip roof would be GREATLY appreciated and I’m sure I’ll have more ?? as this project moves ahead.
Thanks,
Chris
Replies
Cjrich,
Why are you removing the back hip jacks? Are you planning on removing the existing wall that's underneath those back hip jacks?
If your not removing the back wall, there's no need to remove the hip jacks.(unless specified on the plans) What we do in that situation all the time is nail a sleeper, 2x10 or 2x12 on top of the back hip jacks planeing in line with the top of the opposite side hip jacks and then nail the rest of your new rafters to the new ridge and the top of the new sleeper.
Unless you want those back hip jacks out for more attick space.
If you do take the back hip jacks out. There's several ways to handle this.
1) Take out the rest of the hip jacks and hip and run new rafters from the new ridge down to the plate. But then your removing more plywood/roof shingles/fascia/ soffit. It's your call.
2) Keep the hip and jacks and maybe double up the hip depending upon the span and post down to a wall and run new 2x8's from the new ridge and down to the hip in plane with the existing jacks. What I do there so they plane in perfectly is take a perfectly straight 2x4 and nail a piece of what ever you existing plywood is to the bottom of the 2x4 on edge and then lay the 2x4 on top of the existing sheating and let the plywood stick past and you will bump your new rafter to that and nail you rafter there. This way you no that your rafters will plane in.
When you do it that way, don't just nail the new sheathing following the angle of the existing hip sheathing. It's a better job to cut the sheathing out on the existing hip jacks and run your new plywood overlapping the existing hip and jacks. That ties everything in nicely and you wont get any humps from old to new.
I'm sure you'll reroof the whole roof right?
Hope this helps.
Joe Carola
Edited 3/26/2003 6:07:19 PM ET by Framer
Thanks Joe, for some great suggestions. I never thought of the sleeper thing. I don't need the attic space, so that is not an issue. I would just remove some sheathing to allow the central air guys to run the new ducts into the addition.
I am re-roofing the entire house. One of the reasons I am framing this myself is to treat myself to a new roof! I did think about just weaving into the existing roof, but the house is 13 years old and I dont want to have to think about the roof a few years down the road.
Thanks again for the suggestions.
Chris