Assuming Stick Frame….
One Story(1600 SF) with a very Simple Roof
(similar to illustration below)
About how many Man-hours(or labor dollars) to fully deck(with plywood) the top of the ceiling joists?
About how many Man-hours(or labor dollars) might be saved when building the roof?
(because of the safe working platform provided by the deck)
What if the roof design was more complicated than the example photo?
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Replies
Is it truss or stick framed? Any pictures from inside the attic?
It won't save any money at all. These guys need fall protection for when they roll off the side of the roof. The only thing a deck inside does is keep crud out of the insulation. That's it.
Read ... "stick framed"
Read ... "stick framed"
I disagree ... the floor provides a working platform to cut roof joists, lay them out, and set them up w/out working around ceiling joists. Allows a step ladder to be used to set the peaks which will be far easier than using a taller ladder from the main floor. Sheathing the roof is no different, but setting joists would be much more straight forward (and safer).
Working platform
Assuming stick frame.
we always cut rafters on the ground. Setting them is no problem. We lay a couple of sheets of roof sheathing board on the joist and work from them. You can't dec all the way to the edge of the ceiling joist anyway. every other rafter pair should land beside a joist end when joist are 16" oc and ratfers are 24"oc. The lower the pitch of the roof the further inboard the intersection of the top of the joist and the bottom of the rafter. Then you have a guy reaching out to hold and nail in the rafter. It is easier for the "wall man" to just walk the outside top plate. He also becomes tha guy the rafters are handed up to after they are cut on the ground.
There is no advantage of speed gained by stagging and cutting on top of the rafters. A good four man crew can frame a simple roof like he has shown in one day. One cut man, two wall men, and one guy on the ridge.
I had my 2x12s delivered onto my deck on the upper floors. Seems a LOT easier and less time consuming to be able to work on the deck up where the rafters are set in place than to have to cut them on the ground and then hand them up.
Tend to agree w/ Piffin, though ... may be too many variables to make a general response of one way might be less labor intensive than the other. Why can't you deck to the edge of the wall? Treat it just like a floor and instead of a wall plate, you set a plate to set all your rafters on.
second story
For a two story or story and a half that might be a good plan if you site allows a lift like that.
Now that he has explained what he is trying to achieve his thinking is more logical. But just trying to shave a little time off the framing cost didn't make much sense to me.
new construction
This is just a hypothetical project....for New Construction
The main purpose for "the deck" would be to provide a "sheathing" Air Barrier.
As an alternate method to Airtight Drywall Approach or Spray-foam.
I am attaching an "exploded" schematic drawing.
The sheathing joints would be sealed with mastic or "tape".
I am also attaching a photo of a project in Alaska where the builder did something similar.
If you get pre-fab trusses, they just roll them up. This means that they couldn't add the attic floor until after the roof was up.
Additionally if you wanted an attic floor (for you) you would have to tell the engineer designing the trusses so that they would be adequately engineered.
As far as safety: Just get a licensed and bonded contractor. They should maintain the proper safety and insurance so that you don't have to worry (workers comp. etc.).
is no one reading the post? "assuming stick framed"
When I was rereading it, my browser cut off that first line.
I think another question to ask here is "New construction or Re-roof?"
Way too many potential variables to make any intelligent comment