01pewterz28

I have a question
Our house is 2 stories, we have a bonus room, bedroom, and bathroom upstairs. Per this model the builder offered an optional 2nd bedroom but since we purchased the model they did not add this room in the model home. So what I have is an area 18x20 that is dead space (contains the trusses). The ceiling in the upstairs is 10ft high, the 18x20 area goes over our hallway and over the dining room. What we would like to do is build out the space and just make it a storage room with no window.

My question is can roof trusses me modified to build out the room, or would the roof in the area need to be removed or re-built. The trusses run down from the roof to the 2nd floor.

If I can figure out how to post photos I will of how the trusses are.

mako1

Can you be more specific as to the type of trusses.Are they a W style truss.In a new home trusses are designed for the load they will be carrying and should not be modified.
If you had bought the option they would have probably used a different style truss for this option.

01pewterz28

Not 100% sure I will see if I can post some photos.

01pewterz28

Here are some photos

mako1

Forget about the close up pics.You can't tell what kind of truss you have from seeing a couple members joined together.Take a picture of the center of a truss from as far back as you can .Do the members in the center of the truss resemble a W or a U?
Looks like you may have one of the newer roof lines where the archies like to spend a bunch of money worthlessly on cool roof designs stacking trusses.
Anyhow,an analogy although a poor one.If I were to be telling you about a car and sent a pic of the tire would you be able to tell what kind of car I had?

jlhaslip

Agreed.
Just wanted to add that if there are parts of the trusses in the way of creating this room which you are considering removing, DON'T! without a review by a competent engineer or the original truss designer.
Cutting those trusses is usually a fatal error.
Also, the bottom chord is likely not designed to carry the loads of the floor you will be creating.

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mako1

Yep.The bottom chord is probably a 2X4 or 2x6 at most on these engineered trusses and in no way designed to carry a floor above.