Roof and floor trusses are important components that need special consideration to insure their correct manufacture. Components built to the IRC and IBC require the manufacturer to adhere to specific requirements. These requirements provide a blueprint to facilitate the manufacturing of a...

Many years ago I worked construction as a teenager, and I recall the framing lumber I used to see as a framer’s helper. My teacher was a gentleman by the name of Otho Tew. Otho was a seasoned experienced homebuilder who had learned his trade from his father and probably his father before....

Prefabricated metal plate connected wood trusses captured me, as I became a sawyer in April of 1977. I quickly found it to be a totally fascinating industry and would venture out every evening, after work, to view new buildings using our trusses. I wanted to know how everything fit together....

Just like some foods, lumber kept in the right environment will store for an indefinite length of time. But just like food, lumber kept in sub-par conditions will have a shortened storage period. If you’re not storing your lumber properly, you may have to question whether it can/should...

The most common problem typically encountered is excessive defects in the plated area of the truss. While some defects are acceptable in the plated area, the degree of defects depends on the actual joint situation and forces at the joint. Connector sizes are controlled by design, handling,...

How the product will be used is a very important consideration when designing components, and it also comes into play during fabrication. The attic trusses in the photograph have a wedge installed at the wall–ceiling intersection. This is the intended design. Deeper in the rack,...

Everyone knows that member gaps can be caused by uncalibrated saws and poor jigging stops during truss set-up. But did you know the most likely cause of member gaps is the lumber carriage shifting or moving the lumber at an angle, thereby causing a skewed cut? This is especially true when a gang...

A process that requires the inspection of each individual unit or component received from a process or manufacturer is said to be “100 percent inspected.” When fabricators initially consider a quality program, this is what they imagine is necessary. This 100% process, however, is...

Picking usable lumber involves more than just the initial grade stamp. We can think of the stamp as the first step, but we can’t stop there. Truss fabricators depend on the lumber supplier to provide effective grading protocols that will produce materials with predictable design values....

The lowly wedge sometimes gets very little respect. If your plant is doing it right, the wedges usually are cut from drops or culls. That’s a good way of doing it, and it sounds very simple, but not just any piece of wood is suitable for a wedge. There are important qualifications that...