Moving Roof Joists

How to stop roof trusses from moving.

Moving roof joists.

In order to gain space while still supporting the roof adequately you will need to build a short support or pony wall to run along each side of your attic before removing the the webbing braces in your trusses. The exposed beam ceiling look is one that many owners of conventional flat ceilings desperately want. The ceiling joists hold your walls together by resisting thrust generated by the rafters. I would like to move the joists up 12 to create better head room i m 6 3 so the shower in the short ceiling bothers me.

Although 2 inch by 6 inch lumber is used most often in ceiling construction to support 5 foot by 8 foot sheetrock the material commonly used for ceilings other sizes of lumber may be used such as 2 inch by 4 inch and 2 inch by 8 inch lumber. Your parents roof rafters were probably made from 2x8 s and could have been 2x10 s or. Stately attractive and open. Most common attic trusses for homes and garages are made with 2x4 s.

We were told that the joists are not providing structural support and were merely for affixing the flat ceiling. The further up the rafters you go the more thrust the hybrid roof structure is going to create on the walls. When you raise up the ceiling joists you are creating a structure which acts something like a truss with extended legs. While they look the same you probably didn t notice the subtle differences.

Let s compare common roof trusses with the roof framing materials that were used in your parent s house. I am thinking that if i move the joists one at a time by cutting them loose from the top plate and the roof rafters and then shortening them the appropriate length they will move up nicely without affecting the structure at all. The size of the ceiling joist also is accounted for in joist spacing. Sixeighteen is spot on.

While prefab trusses are a serious shortcut to a stronger roof they don t allow the same uninterrupted interior space as their older cousins the common rafters. The main problem with raising the roof is that it requires planning permission and there s a fairly good chance this will be refused especially for terraced or semi detached homes. These joists are below the beam and are tied to it by 2x4. Desperately enough in fact to consider making the major step of pulling down ceiling drywall to expose joists above.

Watch this video before. Room in roof trusses can be craned into place to form the shell of a ready made new loft room with the insulation placed above the rafters for maximum thermal efficiency.