Cutting Trusses For Attic Stairs

The components cannot be cut or altered or you risk ruining the structural strength.

Cutting trusses for attic stairs.

Home owners sometimes will cut trusses to make more storage space in the attic or to do other modifications or remodeling. A truss functions as an interlocking system of framing members joined by gussets or metal connectors. Hello i am working on a project which i am using attic trusses to be used for a living space approximately 32 wide 10 12 pitch spaced 2 o c. Let s compare common roof trusses with the roof framing materials that were used in your parent s house.

You can easily cut your ceiling joists and use the off cut if big enough to but end where the cut was and fix appropriately on the two adjoining joists trusses whatever. This is done to hold the bottom chord from pushing the wall out. We would like to install a fold down attic stair with a rough opening size of 25 5 in. Our home has 2x4 roof trusses spanning 25 ft.

Replacement of these furnaces can be difficult and sometimes cannot be done without cutting or modifying a truss. Your attic floor and roof are probably framed with either trusses or with individual rafters and floor joists. While they look the same you probably didn t notice the subtle differences. Do the same at the other end and then cut your ceiling to match the opening.

Currently there is limited attic storage on a plywood subfloor on the bottom chords accessed via a small hatch in a closet. Lay a 4x8 3 4 sheet of plywood on each end of the truss on the bottom chord spanning to the two trusses on each side of the one to be cut. Most common attic trusses for homes and garages are made with 2x4 s. I have never built a staircase to attic trusses only drop down stairs but i am planning on leaving one truss out and doubling the ones to ether side to create a 4 opening.