The History of Roof Trusses

Invention

• A. Carroll Sanford invented the modern wood truss in 1952 in Pompano Beach, Florida. While playing around with plywood gusset plates, glue, staples, nails and screws, Sanford stumbled upon idea for the first metal plate-connected wood truss and patented that system.

Pre-fabricated

• In the late 1950s and early 1960s, pre-fabricated roof trusses were introduced. One common brand was Gang-Nail. These trusses used a multi-nail plate connector and companies could quickly and cheaply mass-produce them.

Modern Trusses

• Today, roof trusses have a larger span between walls. This allows household rooms to have a more open design. Wood trusses are used in every kind of building, from residential homes to agricultural construction.