


In most situations, this is a small board like a 2” x 4”, but some homes will need a rafter built from much larger lumber like a 2” x 12”. Rafters start out as a simple pieces of lumber. Rafters can be made to accommodate roofs with very steep pitches as well as buildings with nearly flat roofs. Rafters are usually made on-site and installed in rows with even spacing. Rafters are perfect for any roof with a pitch including commercial buildings, residential homes, barns, and storage buildings. This provides structural support for the entire roof from the very top (ridge) to the very bottom (fascia). In a basic four-sided structure, rafters would typically extend from the lowest part of the roof to the highest. In modern construction, trusses often replace the majority of rafters and joists, but both rafters and joists are still commonly used either alone or in conjunction with trusses. The use of rafters and joists usually requires more bearing points for support, which is why most ranch-style homes have a weight-bearing wall near the center of the structure. This is most evident in a ranch-style home, which is why the design became so popular.

In older construction, rafters and joists were an integral part of essentially any wooden structure.īefore trusses were commonly used in residential construction, rafters and joists, along with other framing components were standard. In roof framing, joists connect rafters together at ceiling level to prevent them from separating under the weight of the roof. A rafter provides the slope, or pitch of a roof and serves as a connection point for roof decking and shingles. No, but they do work together to provide support for a roof. In a floor, joists provide the horizontal support for the subfloor, floor coverings, and serve as the connection point between a structure’s masonry foundation and the subfloor. As part of a roof, joists provide the horizontal support for ceiling drywall and tie rafters together. In cooperation with rafters, joists typically support not only the weight of the structure but also hold the structure together.
