Finishing Attic Space With Trusses

If you have this type of roof framing you cannot finish your attic without rebuilding the roof.

Finishing attic space with trusses.

By contrast conventional trusses have supports called webbing that zigzag through the attic space. Newer truss framed roofs are made with prefabricated trusses. The structural framing beneath your roof rafters or trusses will determine if you can add an attic bedroom and what it might look like. Ironically though it s the rafters that provide a better environment for an attic conversion because of the clear space.

If your attic joists won t bear the weight necessary to finish out a living space but the engineer cleared them to support floor decking for light storage you can install inch plywood or. This is the end wall of the attic above my garage. This framing style typically provides the most open space in an attic. You can t simply cut out or alter these supports without seriously undermining the integrity of the roof structure.

I didn t build this house but the architect did everyone a favor by making the vast space above the 40 foot long garage out of attic trusses. Rafters internal beams extending from the peak of the roof to its eaves provide a center open space that you can readily remodel. The space is 12 feet wide and ceiling height is 8 feet. Trusses are like big structural triangles that have angled top pieces that serve as rafters horizontal pieces that serve as floor joists and interconnecting web pieces that give the triangle strength.