Rafter Tail Trimming

KentWhitten

I saw some responses in the 6/12 thread about rafter tails and wanted to throw this out for discussion.

Do you trim the tails? I have always trimmed, but I have a few exceptions to the rule. The smaller runs I usually don't unless it's a matter of consistency with the adjoining side or something. Bay roofs, no.

Trusses I always trim. They seem to never be consistent.

Then I guess another question to throw out is subfascia. Always? Never? Sometimes? It's 50/50 for me, depends on the builder.

And yet another question is what your method is. I will string my chalkline from the two furthest away from each other and use my speedquare with a stairguide. I do not snap the line. This method doesn't work. Hopefully the wind isn't blowing. If it is, then I've got to go to plan B.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

loneframer

I always plumb my corners and set the walls to a stringline. All of my tails are cut on the ground, even hips and valleys. All level cuts for bottom of sub-fascia are dictated by the drop from seatcut to bottom of sub-fascia after the common is laid out. This is handy when working with hips, valleys and multiple pitches. Sometimes I will add an additional plate to the top of walls in order to get a reasonable seat cut on the steeper side of as bastard hip or valley. This allows me to maintain equal overhangs on different pitches. I always do sub-fascia, it is a must with most builders because they wrap them with coil stock. It also gives a nice nailer to nail edge of sheathing to.

__________________
__________________________________




"Walking the fine line between production and perfection"



__________________________________

OW! My thumb

I used to run siding and cornice for a while (long time ago). I always ran lookouts (2x4 or 2x6 out from the wall) for my cornice. I used cut them around 1/8 of an inch longer than the distance from the wall to the widest rafter, on that particular run. It eliminated having to cut the rafters with a line, and gave you a solid piece to nail and break the soffit to ,usually 3/8 plywood. When I framed, I cut the rafters ( hips and valleys too) on the ground also, and knew the lookout would take care of any differences in the over hang.

If your running metal fascia, then a sub fascia is the only way to fly.
Usually a 2x6 for something to nail the soffit panels to and a solid surface for the metal. And the gutters guys dont have to search for anything to screw or nail into.

KennMacMoragh

On a stick framed roof, yes I check it with a string line afterwords, and trim if necessary. But I don't run them long and cut every one of them up in the air if that's what you mean.

I was taught to check and trim tails on trusses too, because you always get one or two that's goofy and doesn't line up with the rest of them. But the last bunch of houses I framed didn't even get a fascia board, and our crew was in way too much of a hurry to think about checking tails on trusses.

OW! My thumb

I will add this, because I ran into it on a job Im doing now,...If the wall has a serious bow in it, I will sting a line from each rafter end and cut the lookouts to it.
This job had a 1" bow in the wall (in 19') and I wanted to take it out ( of the fascia anyway).

KennMacMoragh

If your wall has a 1" bow then you're going to have some problems later. I would have stopped and fixed the wall before messing with the roof any longer.

OW! My thumb

Didnt build it dude. Just trying to fix what was already there. Which was about 5 years. WAYY too late in the game for that.

knucklehead

I almost always cut them on the ground. we almost always put the soffet on the wall before we stand it up,

KennMacMoragh

Ahh yeah, fun stuff doing repairs

KentWhitten

I guess there are quite a few scenarios of when to and not to. Most homes in Seattle were 5/4x8 TK Cedar to the tails, so the tails needed to be trimmed IMO no matter what. Our walls were straight and the rafters set right, but you always seem to have one or two that goes astray no matter how hard you tried. So we ran the tails long and trimmed them in place. Hips and valleys were cut to length. I guess I should mention Seattle had open soffits, not flat.

Trusses would come most times 18" OH's and we'd trim to 17". Made for a bitchin' straight fascia. Then they hung the gutters off that. Later, they went with a different type gutter and attached them directly to the tails. I never trusted the fabrication of the guys at the truss shop. You'd get one way off in left field, so you always had to check the tails.

New England they do more metal fascia. 2x8/1x3, then a flat soffit. Just like OW! said, I always run the soffit block a hair long. Rafters it's not nearly as critical since I can get them close and use the blocks to make it straight as hell. It was the first time in years since I used a 2x sub fascia. No one in Seattle wanted to pay for it. Too much money.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

Warren

I will sometimes snap a chalkline and mark the tails using a short level. Its usually easier with the level as you dont have to lean out so far to reach the speedsquare underneath the tail. On one house we did, we had overhangs that varied from 4 feet to 6 feet and the roof was trussed. These tails were all over the place up and down and in and out. With tails that long, its not unusual for them to be like that due to crowning in the wood. Our solution was to set the fascia to a predetermined height down from the top plate. Then we used a power planer to shave off some of the purlins that were too high and cut shims for the ones that ended up too low. I have seen other crews try to pry each tail up or down but it doesn't work because once the torque is released, the rafter just wants to spring back.

strathd

Rafters I cut the tails before they go up. With trusses (after they're set) I check with a dryline. If they're ok I go with it. If not, snap a line and cut. Whatever it takes to get the fascia straight.

loneframer

Does anyone set their trusses by the vertical rise at the plateline rather than by the overhang of the tail? I know two different framers that go this route on the side of the roof that is most visible, then cut the tails accordingly.

__________________
__________________________________




"Walking the fine line between production and perfection"



__________________________________

Warren

I try to set them by the heel, but on some of the short seat cuts like 4", they don't seem very consistent. Very rarely do I set them by the tails. Seen it done a lot, I just don't like it.

knucklehead

That is what we do when we do trusses. You still might have to trim some to get it right

strathd

Same here. After checking with the dryline there might only be a few that need cut. Sometimes more sometimes less, whatever it takes.

JamesKB2

We use primarily truss construction, sub facia 2 X 6. Sometimes 2 X 8.

I set the trusses to the bottom chord's end cut, there's usually a little flat spot there. I pick the wall that the trusses are set to, the loooong straight one!

With trusses most often, there's one or two that have a long tail. VERY often the gable truss is long or high. I use a framing square off sheathing to get the cut point on each end of the run, snap a chalk line, and then use an adjustable speed square set to the pitch to side mark. Cut 'em off and have a super straight and level fascia.

Some builders I've subbed for order their tails extra long, so you HAVE to cut them!

Pic of adjustable speed square:

KentWhitten

No, neither. Unless you are talking about raised heel trusses or some other unique situation, I set the truss flush with the framing of the wall. The bottom chord where it terminates has a 1/4" heel height, the little snubber of the bottom chord. That is where the truss is theoretically supposed to be set flush with framing. The heel height always varies because some knucklehead high school kid is putting our trusses together.

I've seen some guys string a line on common trusses at the ridge and move the trusses back and forth to align the ridge. I've also seen it at the tail. Both IMO will lead to an undesirable roof.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

strathd

Yeah thats the way I do it also. Problem is it's not allways a 1/4". Hope for the best !

loneframer

I've only done maybe 6 or 7 truss roofs in my life. I was taught to go by the bottom chord, but have worked with a few guys that argue the heel method. I've done both and had okay results, but I would prefer to stick build given a choice.....If the price is right.

__________________
__________________________________




"Walking the fine line between production and perfection"



__________________________________