Steel Roof Trusses Vs Wood Roof Trusses

Attaching wood roof purlins to a steel framework is not as easy or straightforward as wood to wood.

Steel roof trusses vs wood roof trusses.

Not only is the raw material more expensive but installation costs may be higher as well due to increased complexity. Choosing other roof structures with timber trusses has already become the standard choice for building construction especially for residential buildings. Since the steel truss sits on top of the post there is no need for an expensive time consuming header system. Rafter boards are fastened to the ridge board at the peak and the top plate where they join the wall.

The boards creating the slope of the roof are wider than lumber used to build trusses 2x8s 2x10s and 2x12s are most common in rafters vs. As to the choice of trusses most people are very comfortable working with wood as wood tends to be very forgiving. Since then this design solution for architects and engineers has evolved to support large floor areas and large roof spaces of up to and over 100 feet wide. Like rafters you can find trusses made of wood or steel and for contractors and roofers eager to put a unique spin on a roof popular truss styles include dual pitch howe queen post pratt stub fink and more.

Timber also is more fire resistant than unprotected steel beams because wood doesn t ignite until it reaches over 250 degrees. The lumber and steel plates the trusses are constructed from have no idea how far apart they are going to be placed. In the late 1950 s redbuilt s founders invented an innovative composite steel and engineered wood open web truss. Cost comparison of roof rafters vs trusses.

Wooden trusses are labor intensive requiring hurricane clips and expensive double headers to rest on all costing time and money. Steel trusses have become more popular lately but they are much more expensive than timber sometimes costing five times as much as wood trusses. Steel roof trusses are usually more expensive than wooden trusses but they do last a lot longer than timber and require very little maintenance. When it comes to the roof there is no doubt that there is a need for stable and high quality structure and the roof trusses offer a number of advantages in this regard as compared to for example traditional rafter solutions.

Additionally there is no need for hurricane clips as the trusses are bolted. After it catches fire it develops a protective coating. Part of the answer to your question is what is it going to cost.