How To Convert A Trussed Roof Loft

The usual way in which trussed loft conversions are carried out is to install steel joists across the width of the roof and running the full length of the roof.

How to convert a trussed roof loft.

The beams are supported by the gable ends of the roof and replace the original wooden struts which are removed once the steel beams are in place. If the roof slope is steeper than 9 inches in 12 inches of run it doesn t take much width to end up with a nice room 12 feet wide with an 8 foot ceiling. Meanwhile if you need to change the roof structure as well you need to pay for another usd 42 000. The main reason a trussed roof is harder to convert is because each of the structural timbers are essentially in place to hold up the roof.

Use a chalk line to draw a line along the floor parallel to the lower edge of the roof from one end of the attic to the other on both sides. Measure in from the lower edge of the roof to a point 1 4 the width of the truss on either side of the attic. Room in roof trusses can be craned into place to form the shell of a ready made new loft room with the insulation placed above the rafters for maximum thermal efficiency. The role of the horizontal beam is to tie the truss together and carry the load that would otherwise be sustained by the support and vertical timber also known as the king post.

The conversion from a trussed roof to a trussless roof simply involves the redistribution of the roofs weight from the trusses to beams running from gable to gable. Look at this photo of the space created by attic trusses at my home. Often the height of the roof may be too low when constructed with truss rafters which means that it may need to be raised too. This process involves the installation and use of steel beams.

In addition the design means the trusses occupy majority of the space within the loft therefore the whole structure will need strengthening if you decide to convert your loft. Measure the width of your roof trusses from inside to inside. A truss frame will occupy the majority of the space within the loft which means that the whole structure needs replacing if you decide to convert your attic. If you want to convert your attic into a dormer loft so the floorspace would be more useful you can pay for another usd 22 000 at least.

Removal and rebuild of roof. Remove the existing roof structure and replace it with a larger one.