Fewer homes today use rafters to support the roof — that’s because more new homes are built with manufactured roof trusses.
These triangular wood structures are built in a factory and delivered to the construction site for installation after a home’s walls are built.
Here’s why more home builders are switching from rafters to trusses.
1. They’re Engineered for Performance
The truss is the structural framework that supports the roof and ceiling joists. Trusses are carefully constructed, as one piece, in a factory to meet an engineer’s specifications.
The engineer makes sure that the truss can support your home’s roof design and that it meets any applicable building codes — which means the structural framework will be tailor-made, just for your home, and shouldn’t hurt your home’s resale value.
2. Trusses Require Few Load-Bearing Walls
Manufactured trusses are designed to distribute the roof’s weight to the home’s outside walls, so fewer interior load-bearing walls are needed.
Building a home with rafters requires more load-bearing walls because builders — always working at the construction site — physically can’t add rafters without them.
