Look Ma - No Nails

Status
Not open for further replies.
Pierre C Belarge

Pierre C Belarge

Senior Member
Location
Westchester County, New York
I know that techology is running in front of us these days, instead of catching up to us like when I first started working.

This truss frame construction looks flimsy, but I guess it is okay to work with, as this building department is very thorough.

IMG_7537.jpg





IMG_7538.jpg




I especially like this connection
IMG_7540.jpg
 
Probably like a modular with 2x4 roof rafters on 24" centers with 14-15 foot spans and a couple of 2x3 stapled and crimped on. I cant wait until a heavy snow load is on these roofs they are not for me. I can frame it myself before I would have this in my house. It meets code and that is the difference between code minimum and common sence.
 
I have been seeing those for 16 plus years , with the exception of green plates, those must be environmentally friendly. I have heard the fire dept. call those ten minute roofs because they collapse so quickly in a fire.
 
I have been seeing those for a long time. In 1990-91 I was working as a carpenter and the wrong trusses were ordered and could not be returned. I was given the job of scraping the wrong ones. I tried to pry those plates of with large pry bars .... can not be done. They are glued as well as pressed.
 
I agree that the plates looked a little small but these plates have holding strength. When properly applied, you will tear the boards to pieces trying to separate them.
 
they have been using metal truss plates for many, many years around here, Im kinda surprised you havent seen them before, and like Mivey said, they will shred the wood if you try to take them apart.
 
During college-back in 1970 or 1971- I worked in a truss manufacturing company. Those brackets are on both sides and were compressed with a roller. No nails were necessary then or now. I have never heard of them being glued but that was a long time ago. They are engineered and trust me--as Bob suggest- you ain't getting them apart easily.
 
I was working on a job a couple years ago where a building was completely framed, but one of the trusses installed was incorrect, it need to have an opening for a duct or passage of some sort, the framer wouldnt alter it, they had to call in an engineer to design a change, and the truss company sent out a couple guys to cut out a section of the truss and re-frame it using a portable hydrolic ram that sandwiched the plates and pressed them into place.
 
Was seeing them in early 80's,as been said they cant be taken apart.Engineers stand behind them.Never seen any break apart at the joints.They make a fast install and after all bracing and plywood is installed the roof is good.Would think snow might be a factor but not where i am.
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
Was seeing them in early 80's,as been said they cant be taken apart.Engineers stand behind them.Never seen any break apart at the joints.They make a fast install and after all bracing and plywood is installed the roof is good.Would think snow might be a factor but not where i am.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen a house built without them in maybe 20+ years. They are fine for the snow loads we get in the far northern Midwest. You need to understand how the truss is engineered before you know what forces are being put on the plates/joints. And by the way these trusses may not be designed to hang things from. Also, these are not quite the same thing as your DIY hammer on plates.
 
iwire said:
I have been seeing those for a long time. In 1990-91 I was working as a carpenter and the wrong trusses were ordered and could not be returned. I was given the job of scraping the wrong ones. I tried to pry those plates of with large pry bars .... can not be done. They are glued as well as pressed.
Click to expand...

I was gonna say..Try to take on of those out. Those are manufatured trusses, not field built. Out here, you hardly ever see a conventional framed roof any more.
 
cowboyjwc said:
I was gonna say..Try to take on of those out. Those are manufatured trusses, not field built. Out here, you hardly ever see a conventional framed roof any more.
Click to expand...

My father was a carpenter and he did teach me how to frame roofs but very few so called carpenters could frame a roof or build a door frame and hang the door.Today its all about speed.I had a contractor that had his 3 bd 2 bth 2 car carage homes framed in one day.That included roof and all walls and firing strips.There would be 12 to 15 men and by 3 the place was swept up and they were drinking a few cold ones.You went from wooded lot to turn key in 10 weeks.I would tell buyers i be back in 4 weeks to trim the house.
 
They have been around here for years..we have to have a 35lb pr sq ft snow load rating so they are tough..

when it comes to building most want speed because labor costs are so high..when it comes to housing that starts at 150,000 controlling costs are a necessity..

The only way I see it going since the housing market is now seeing drops that are equal to the great depression..is that either we are going to have to increase wages or decrease costs..thanks to the global markets we now are faced with competing with countries where the monthly living wage is less than a days labor here..So we really need to think about buying local and using local goods even if we need to pay more just so our economies can live..
 
jim dungar said:
Also, these are not quite the same thing as your DIY hammer on plates.
Click to expand...
Other than a press, what is the difference? The ones I have used seem pretty tough.
 
What I don't like about them is the very short time to failure under fire conditions. The heat from the fire quickly causes char around the short points of the plate and the truss will fail.
 
Like a few have mentioned, the worst thing about these is fire.

My understanding is that the wood will hold up much longer than these plates.

When the plates get hot enough they will warp and pull right out of the wood (not to mention they'll get weak).

That's just my understanding. I have not personally seen it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top