How to Prevent Roof Truss Failure

About Me
Roofing Encyclopaedia: Tips For Repair, Maintenance And Replacement

Hello there! I'm glad you dropped by. As the manager of a body corporate agency, I deal with a range of problems every day. Unwanted pests and burst drains are everyday occurrences. Sometimes, there are more unusual situations. Once, I had to deal with a tenant who was keeping a horse in his fourth-story unit! The most common problems I face are related to roofs as poorly-maintained roofs can cause leaks, fires and flying debris. Since I am always encouraging body corporates to maintain, repair or replace roofs before major hassles occur, I have become a bit of a roofing encyclopaedia. I can speak with reasonable knowledge about the best materials, techniques and tradespeople in the industry. I thought others out there might be seeking information about roofing repairs and benefit from my know-how. I hope these entries prove helpful. May you always stay dry!

How to Prevent Roof Truss Failure

5 February 2016
 Categories: , Blog

Roof trusses are vital components in the building of a new home, as they are the pieces that will help to hold the entire building together. Roof truss manufacturers can provide you with a range of solutions that will suit your building project, and when it's finished, you can rest assured that you have a stabile home to live in. However, roof truss failure is not that uncommon, and there are a few common causes why this might happen. For you to avoid having your roof trusses fail, there are a few things you need to think about when handling them.

Proper storage

The first step to prevent roof truss failure is where and how you store them before actually performing the instalment. When you've had your structures picked up or delivered by the roof truss manufacturer, it's unlikely that you will be able to install them immediately. Make sure you store them in a cool area where they can lie on a flat surface. If you can avoid it, you should also not put them on top of each other. If you have to have them stored like that, make sure they are perfectly aligned so that no part of any truss is hanging over an edge. Not storing them on a flat surface can cause them to distort and bend, making them more unstable once installed.

Careful handling

When installing the roof trusses, you also need to be careful with how you're handling them. These are structures meant to carry a lot of force pointing downwards, which is why you should always handle them where there won't be any force applied to them from the side. When you're lifting them up with a crane to have them installed or just moved, you should always make sure they are being lifted in the top or the bottom, with the lifting device as centred as possible.

Watch the weather

The most common reason for roof truss failure, however, is the weather; particularly when you're installing them. If the weather is moist or if it's raining outside when you're installing your roof trusses, you need to make sure you're protecting them from it. Put up a temporary roof on top of what's going to be the actual roof on your home. You should also plan the installation to make sure it can be performed as quickly as possible. Have all measurements ready and call in people you know can handle a project like this to help you get the trusses in place to not have them exposed to the weather for a longer time than what's needed.