My design calls for the first common truss 22-1/2″ inboard from the gable wall, and we will drop the gable top plates to pick up 2×6 lookouts at 48″ centers going out 1′-9″ to 2×8 barge rafters. To those of you familiar with trusses, will the truss engineer want to beef up this first inboard truss, because of the loading of the lookouts? 2×6 top chords, maybe? Would you clip the lookouts to the top chords with joist hangers, upside down?
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I guess you'd have to figure in loading, pitch, and climate to get a real accurate answer to your question about beefing up the top chord, Gene, but here in the Great Northwest we often use a similar framing detail. The difference is that we usually use a drop truss for the gable, turning outlookers up on edge to carry the barge. Seems like the loading on the first common truss would be very close to the same in either detail and I've never seen or heard of anyone fastening the outlookers with anything but a couple 16s. Sure wouldn't hurt anything, but I'm not sure what you'd gain from it.
The far more common method for supporting that overhang around here is by notching the top chord of the gable truss to accept 2x4 outlookers on the flat, but even then, we just nail the secured end of the outlookers with a couple sinkers.
The 2x6 lookouts are on edge.
I like jims idea or method you could add an anothe member on its side to strenghten it.
Edited 12/31/2002 8:32:11 PM ET by Frame Boss
The truss is still 2' O.C., so it doesn't have any added loads that would require a special design.
I don't have a license to kill. I have a learner's permit.
There's not really any extra loading because the lookouts function as a cantilever no mater which way you align them. The load ot the overhang prys up on the common trusss to neutralize load on it.
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