Gable End Truss Offset Siding

ChristianT · 07-29-2011, 08:09 AM

Hi, I am still working on my shed plans and have some questions about the roof. I am trying to acheive the effect I see a lot on barns where the siding on the gable end truss overhangs the siding on the wall. The top pictures shows what I am talking about. My first question is does anyone know what this is called? Whenever I search for overhang, I get a lot of results about "gable end overhang" which isn't what I am looking for.

My second question is how to do this. I am using a book to help (Build Like a Pro - Building a Shed) and it shows a 2x4 "shoe plate" attached to the inside of the gable end truss that then gets screwed to the top wall plate. Unfortunately it doesn't really go into details and there aren't any good closeup images. How far out can I hang the gable end truss? Does at least some of the truss joist need to rest on the wall plate (like shown in the bottom image)? Or does the shoe plate get lined up flush with the wall plate? In this case the truss would be only supported by the connection between the joist and the shoe plate, which doesn't seem strong enough.

Thanks,
Christian

TrapperL · 07-29-2011, 08:39 AM

Depends on how far you're wanting to set it out as to the wood dimension used. Around here it's a common practice to set the gable ends out to extend over the brick. The engineers at BMC had us using a 2x 10 like a stud on the top plate line set at 24" OC with the backside of the 2x 10 flush with the backside of the plate. That gave us a 5 3/4" projection of the gable end. The gable end was face nailed to the 2x 10. We also squash blocked the 2x 10 to keep things from moving. My framing crew made brackets from scrap 2x 4 that was attached to the wall at each end to hold the gable end in place while they worked on it. Worked well on trusses up to 36 foot anyway.

ChristianT · 07-29-2011, 10:21 AM

Thanks for the reply. From what I understand, your solution looked similar to the one I have except that the shoe plate was a 2x10 rather than a 2x4 and the 2x10 was flush with the back of the wall plate and extended well beyond in front. Is this right?

Thanks again,
Christian

TrapperL · 07-29-2011, 12:42 PM

No, the 2x 10 is installed like a stud, vertically, 24" oc. It's nothing like your pic. Squash blocking is a 2x 4 nailed tight between the vertical 2x 10's so they can't move. The correct terminology for this type of application is called cantilevering the gable end trusses.
Looking at the drawings you have posted, it appears that the truss is still carried on the plate line, just moved out some for a shadow line. The method you have posted will work as long as 1/3 of the thickness of the truss is bearing on the plate. Otherwise, you're putting the wood in a shear load and wood doesn't do that well especially when it's the thickness of a 2x that's in shear.

ChristianT · 07-29-2011, 01:47 PM

Ok. That makes more sense. Does the below image look something like what you did? Otherwise, it sounds like I am good with my original method if I only want 3/4 of an inch overhang.

Thanks again,
Christian

Tizzer · 07-29-2011, 02:15 PM

You're going to go through all that just for 3/4" ?

Why not fur out the gable truss with 3/4 boards. Or set a regular truss where the gable one would go, and nail the gable truss to that for a 1 1/2" overhang.

ChristianT · 07-29-2011, 02:19 PM

Yeah. I'm probably going a bit over the top at this point

. Those ideas you gave are good. I will probably end up doing something simple like that. I just got curious about how it should be done for bigger overhangs.

Thanks,
Christian

TrapperL · 07-29-2011, 04:54 PM

That's it exactly Christian. You do good work. I looked for about 30 minutes on the net trying to find a pic for you and couldn't. I thought about drawing one and scanning it to post but you've saved me the time. If all you want to set the truss out is 3/4", meaning half of the truss will still be on the plate, the original is a good method.