How To Notch Roof Rafters

The roof rafters provide integral structural support to the roof.

How to notch roof rafters.

The ridge end of the rafter and often the eve end will need to be cut to the angle of the roof slope. The ridge cut also called the plumb cut at the top of the rafter the birdsmouth cut. When it comes to how to cut roof rafters the process can feel a bit overwhelming at first. Because a roof requires many rafters to frame it speeds things along if you use the first rafter as a pattern or template for the other rafters.

Before you cut your boards you ll need to measure the width of your building and calculate the exact length of each rafter. The first step in building the roof rafters is to cut one rafter board to length with the ends angled properly and then to mark and cut the birds mouth and seat on the rafter. Creating a birdsmouth cut is the classic way to prepare a rafter for a hand cut gable or shed roof. Due to the width.

When you cut the rafters you ll need to make 3 separate cuts. Possibly the most satisfiying part of the roof yet. To lay out a common rafter you need the pitch of the roof expressed in units of rise per foot of run in the gable roof example shown here a rafter with 6 in 12 pitch rises 6 in. Use it to make the proper measurements marks and cuts on each rafter.

The roof on this shed is a 4 in 12 slope which makes it a 18 and. Laying out hip valley and jack rafters takes experience and skill but if you re building a simple gable or shed roof all you need is the common rafter the basic building block of roof framing. Birdsmouth joints cut into roofing rafters and mounted in place on top of the wall plate. If you look at the rafter span chart you ll notice that 2x4s can be used for rafters on spans up to 11.

If you ve wondered how to frame a lean to roof off a pole barn this video will show you how i did it. The pitch and span of your roof will dictate how long of a rafter you ll need use maximum span calculator to help you find your rafter size. One thing that i can t stress enough be sure that your measurements are rock solid before you mark or cut anything. I cut rafters out of 2x8s frame this pole barn lean to.