This is our journal of what we pray is our sojourn of life (Hebrews 11:8-10) along the narrow way (Matthew 7:14), even the old paths (Jeremiah 6:16), submitting to the Bible as a light unto both (Psalms 119:105). It is our prayer that these documented moments in our earthly time benefit whom God might choose to edify, but ultimately that God glorifies Himself through them.

A House – Update XV – Main Roof

Once the house trusses were installed, it was time to start covering the roof. In order to allow maximum air flow in the attic area, I decided to add vented blocks to each space between the trusses. Here is how our house-building helper designed them, cutting them and chipping them out with a chisel. This is the back side:

House Roof Vented Block Back Side

And this is the back side with the screening in place. We used aluminum window screening:

House Roof Vented Block Back Side with Screening

And here is the front side:

House Roof Vented Block Front Side with Screening

And here are the vented blocks installed:

House Roof Vented Blocks Installed Front View
House Roof Vented Blocks Installed Diagonal View
House Roof Vented Blocks Installed Inline View

Then, it was time to add the gabled-side overhang, which was for two feet overhang. First, the 2×4 braces were added by cutting into the top of the trusses notches to hold them; and then the 2×4 braces were installed:

House Roof Gabled Overhang Braces Long View
House Roof Gabled Overhang Braces Diagonal View

And here is the overhang fascia added:

House Roof Gabled Overhang Braces with Fascia

Then, it was time to add the covering surface that would go under the main roofing material. The plan was to have radiant barrier OSB (OSB that has aluminum foil on one side), which helps reflect heat, for most of the roof area, but use CDX plywood for the exposed overhang places:

House Roof Overhang Plywood

And here it is complete:

House Roof Plywood/OSB Covering Complete

This is what the roof looks like from the inside of the house:

House Roof Plywood/OSB Covering Inside View

Finally, the gabled end trusses needed their underneath siding, which again were covered with radiant barrier OSB:

House Roof Gables Trusses Siding

And here is the inside look at that:

House Roof Gables Trusses Siding Inside View

Finally, thanks to one of the kind listeners to our teacher teacher’s Internet radio show helping us out with some truss bracing information, in order to prevent them from “racking” (where the trusses basically can domino over) we added X-braces along the center posts of the trusses, on one side running from the high end of the gabled truss to the lower part of the internal trusses, attaching to each truss as it goes, and on the other side running low to high; and this was done for both gabled ends:

House Roof Trusses X Bracing

We are thankful again to the Lord for His provisions for the house, and for the continued progress.

— David

6 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    I love reading your blog and seeing the progress your homestead has taken. I love all of the pictures and information you share. I also love that you don't know it all and learn with us sometimes. I am blessed by your blog. Brenda

  2. David and Susan Sifford

    Hi Brenda,

    We always pray the Lord glorify Himself with the blog and through our lives in general.

    I've always wanted to make sure to include things that don't go correctly, because that's important information as well as the opposite.

    Thanks for saying hello.

    — David

  3. Ernest

    Those vented blocks are an inspired idea! I've never even heard of such things.

  4. David and Susan Sifford

    Hi Ernest,

    Since we won't have air conditioning, and the whole point of the roof pitch is to create an area of insulative space in the attic, and since we plan to vent to roof ridge, we need as much air flow in there as much as possible. I'm really hoping we get good convection with them.

    I did something sort of similar for our summer kitchen.

    — David

  5. Anonymous

    Thanks so much for the truss and gable overhang pictures. I am doing the same thing this week and being a computer nerd, your pictures have helped incredibly. We are also homesteading, building by hand and hoping to get a small farm with animals going.

    Good luck and keep up the blog!
    Charlie in Missouri.

  6. David and Susan Sifford

    Hi Charlie,

    We're thankful it could be of help. Thanks for saying hello

    — David

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