subject: Wood Trusses: Structural Benefits And Limitations [print this page] When a roofing professional offers a wood roof design, he doesnt mean a roof completely made out of wood and plank. Instead, he is referring to the roofing framework that includes the trusses, tendons and the rafters. Even though there are special cases that wood is used as primary roofing, it is not included in the list of durable materials. Architects who design a structure with wood roof are usually after its natural aesthetic quality, not its lasting quality.
Surprisingly, wood roofing trusses are among the longest-lasting types of trusses commonly used today. Aside from its refreshing appearance that sometimes defies the use of ceiling cover; wood trusses can last for a century if properly maintained by application of non-toxic pesticides like varnish. Unlike metal trusses that are highly conductive, wood trusses repels heat absorbed by the roof and therefore contributing to the natural ventilation of the house.
Roofing designs using wood trusses are common in tropical cities like Omaha, NE. Once ranked as the third best city in the US few years back, this city has expanded fast because of urban infrastructure. Nevertheless, despite modern structural concepts being employed in construction, many houses, mostly residential, still prefer custom wood trusses.
Wood trusses provide lots of benefits over any other material aside from its natural aesthetics. Most roofing companies Omaha, NE has trust wood trusses because of their high-efficiency strength-to-load ratio. Unlike steel that needs to be pre-stressed to avoid compression, wood trusses can support loads and distribute the weight at long spans without buckling or sagging.
On the other hand, a wood truss has are more rigid compared to a steel truss. This is the reason why it can be used to support roofing designs for colossal structures such as domes and buildings. Roofing companies Omaha, NE only offer wood trusses for multi-family residential houses and for agricultural and commercial constructions.
Despite its edge over steel as truss material, wood still needs steel as its integral component. Galvanized steel plates are used to connect wood to shapes. These steel plates are bolted adequately to prevent disassembling during earthquakes or strong winds. Roofing companies Omaha, NE make sure the type of wood being used has tight and strong fibers to resist more tension.
