Roof trusses are definitely here to stay
— they're common almost everywhere
and dominate roof framing in the big
tract developments in the western
U.S., where I work. Trusses have established
themselves because they save
both time and materials.
So why doesn't everyone use trusses?
One reason is that on some jobs, you're
simply better off cutting rafters. These
include roofs with lots of hips and valleys,
flat roofs, and many simple, small
buildings and additions where using
trusses just doesn't save labor.
But it's clear to me that many contractors
don't use trusses on jobs where
they should. Once you know what precautions
to take, trusses work beautifully
on most roofs and offer some very
real advantages. The