Liquid Nail Uses for Roof Truss Reinforcement

Liquid Nails

• Liquid Nails is a brand name of construction adhesive manufactured by the Akzo Nobel company in Ohio. The company makes a handful of adhesive products, each intended for use on different construction materials. When used to reinforce lumber during construction, select Liquid Nails "Heavy Duty." You’ll need a glue gun or a caulking gun to dispense the adhesive. Liquid Nails by itself will not support the trusses, but it can add reinforcement, and it can act as a damper to reduce the creaks and pops sometimes associated with truss expansion and contraction.

Where to Glue

• Construction adhesive may be applied to the designated attachment points for the roof trusses. When the trusses arrive on the truck, you will receive a layout diagram for the truss configuration and a specifications sheet. Typically, attachment points are located where the ends of the truss sit on the exterior wall plate, and, in some cases, additional attachment points will be on the tops of interior load-bearing walls.

Where Not to Glue

• You may not apply Liquid Nails, or any other adhesive, to any point not designated as an attachment point. In addition, you may not insert nails or screws anywhere but in the designated attachment points. While it may seem strange not to attach the bottom chord of a roof truss where it rests upon an interior wall, the truss is engineered to move as a unit. Temperature fluctuations and humidity can stress the wood members in a truss, and the bottom truss chord must be free to lift away from the interior wall. Attaching a roof truss to any point not designated on the layout diagram can void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Application

• Because they’re large and cumbersome, a crane is required to set the trusses. Before installation begins, the truss layout will be transferred to the top wall plate. If you’re using Liquid Nails, apply a 1/4 inch bead in an “X” shape to the top of the wall plate over each attachment point just prior to setting the truss. Once the truss is in position, add the additional required bracing, usually in the form of screwed on or nailed on truss plates. The manufacturer of Liquid Nails suggests using their adhesive when the temperature is between 40 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.