Common Roof Framing Problems in Home Construction

Walls

• The roof framing obviously can't be put up until the wall framing is completed. However, an error in the wall framing can easily show up as a problem when you're trying to frame the roof. If difficulties are being had when putting up rafters, such as having problems making measured angles match up properly, then you need to check the walls again. A wall frame that is not level will create large problems when putting up the rafters.

Sloppy Work

• Contractors are renowned for trying to get a job done as quickly as possible in order to make it more profitable. This leads to sloppy work at times, some of which can be seen in roof framing problems. The place to look for this type of shoddy work is where the rafters meet the wall plate. If the framers have done a good job, each rafter should be cut to fit the plate snugly. Some, though, make the mistake of just nailing the rafters directly to the top plate.

Calculation Problems

• Framing a roof properly requires a great number of careful calculations. This allows the framer to figure out everything from what angles material needs to be cut, to how it should be installed, to what material needs to be used. For instance, if a framer did not calculate properly for the weight the rafters need to bear, he might use rafters of the wrong size or put them too far apart. This could result in a sagging roof over time.

Improper Support

• The more complex the roof line of a house becomes, the more challenging it is for a builder to know exactly where the weight is born on different points of the overall housing frame. A builder must know how to properly use multiple trusses, when to use them and even how to nail them together properly to distribute the stresses of the roof properly. Mistakes in this area lead to undue stress being placed in the wrong fashion on the frame.