Your home is a safe space for you and your family. To make it even safer, ensure that all parts of it are of high quality—sturdy walls, secure doors, and durable roofs. Aside from these common parts of your house that need strength, you also have to consider reinforcing other parts of your home. For example, did you know that roofs have trusses? Those not in the construction industry may not be familiar with roof trusses, but they are as essential as other parts of your home for safety. Learn tips on how to reinforce trusses in roofs from the trusted construction materials provider, Union Galvasteel.
What is a roof truss?
A roof truss is a structural framework that provides roofs with the support and strength they need to be held securely in their place. It connects roofs with the rooms or spaces under them. In most homes, trusses are not visible because ceilings cover them.
Trusses come in different shapes, but traditional ones are triangular and are composed of three parts: top chords, bottom chords, and webs. The top chord is the sloping part that forms the upper edge of a truss. This is where the roofs attach. The bottom chord is the horizontal part at the lower edge of a truss. Webs connect the top and bottom chords. In addition, the webs provide support for compressive or tensile forces.
For more information about roof trusses, read All About Roof Trusses: Types, Materials, and Advantages
What Causes Roof Truss Damage
As trusses support roofs, we must ensure their integrity at all times. However, some factors may cause them to weaken and get damaged, which can be dangerous. Here are some causes of roof truss damage.
- Water leaks
If your roof has holes and rusts, rainwater may penetrate through these dents causing leaks. When the trusses are exposed to leaks, they may also get damaged. - Insects or pests
Insects and pests may affect the integrity of roof trusses. This is especially true for trusses made of wood which are prone to rats and termite infestation. - Weak Joints
While modern roof trusses are connected with screws and nails, old ones utilize Mortise and Tenon joints with wooden pegs, which make them prone to insect infestation.
How to Reinforce Trusses in Roofs
This typhoon season, it’s best to prepare your house against strong winds. If you have wooden roof trusses, you can make them more durable and last longer by reinforcing them. Here are some ways to reinforce roof trusses.
- Connect trusses to walls
Use ties or straps to connect trusses to your home’s wall. You can access the trusses through your attic if you have one or through wall interiors. - Use construction adhesive
Construction adhesives, when applied along the roof trusses’ edges, can strengthen the connection of the trusses to the roof. These are easily available in hardware stores. - Add wood reinforcement
Add 2x4s from one end of the trusses to the other to make them stiffer and stronger. You may ask for a carpenter’s help to do this properly and to avoid further accidents. - Check roof for damages
Prevent leaks that weaken the integrity of roof trusses by ensuring that your roofs are in great shape. Regularly check your roofs for damages that recent rains may cause, overhanging tree branches, or animals.
Read more: Yero Tips: Protecting Your Roof Against the Typhoon Season - Clean gutters
As mentioned earlier, leaks weaken roof trusses, so regularly cleaning your gutters to prevent leaks will keep your trusses strong.
Read: Maintaining a Clean Roof Gutter in Preparation for the Rainy Season
When to Ask for Expert’s Help
Unless you have experience with construction, you should always leave major home renovations or repairs to experts. So if you are having trouble with your roof trusses, it is best to call a professional immediately. Roof trusses repairs may be dangerous as it requires going to a high place or opening up walls or ceilings in your home, so going DIY is not recommended.
If you want to avoid the hassle of dealing with damaged roof trusses and eventually your roof giving up on you, replace your wooden trusses with light steel frames instead.
Using Light Steel Frames as Roof Trusses
Steel roof trusses are more durable than wood trusses. They may be lighter than wood, but steel roof trusses are stronger because of their high strength-to-weight ratio, which allows them to handle heavy loads or strong winds and rains.
While wood trusses are prone to pest infestation, steel trusses are not only pest-resistant but also fire-resistant. Because of their fire-retardant coatings, they stop a fire from spreading.
Another advantage of steel roof trusses over their wooden counterpart is that they are pre-fabricated to specifications. Because they are shaped or designed the way you need them, they will not warp or change form later, unlike wood when exposed to changing environmental conditions.
Steel roof trusses require low maintenance, as you don’t need chemical treatments for termites.
Light Steel Frames Manufacturer in the Philippines
If you need metal roof trusses for your construction projects, only source them from trusted manufacturers like Union Galvasteel Corporation. UGC can provide steel roofing requirements entirely fabricated and designed based on your specifications. These materials are pre-designed using computers, so we can guarantee that they would fit your needs.
For metal roofing prices in the Philippines or other questions about roofing materials, Union Galvasteel Corporation is here for you. UGC manufactures and distributes pre-painted and other galvanized roofing. We have the largest and most diversified distribution network in the industry, and with warehouses and sales offices in strategic locations throughout the country, we are easy to find. Get in touch with us via our website or call these numbers for assistance: (02) 8520-8822-23; 8520-8831; (049) 545-0084 to 86 or 09175033965 (Globe) and 09190032303 (Smart).
