Vaulted Roof Structure

In many cases a vaulted ceiling makes the room feel more open bringing air and light into a room.

Vaulted roof structure.

Homeowners often want to create a vaulted ceiling design. The simplest kind of vault is the barrel vault also called a wagon or tunnel vault which is generally semicircular in shape. Exposing elements of the roof structure including the trusses and or rafters can add character to a home. Vaulted ceilings can be constructed by either stick framing which means attaching each joist and rafter individually or by setting roof trusses that come engineered from a truss manufacturer with.

The rafters are in compression pushing outward on the eaves walls and the ceiling joists are in tension pulling inward on the eaves walls. It is more expensive though. Vaulted roof detail the cut or vaulted roof is an engineered system that provides open living space directly below the roof rafters as there are no horizontal ceiling joists. This works particularly well beneath lofty double height vaulted ceilings but can also work beneath in single height rooms as this example goes to show.

Each truss is composed of two opposing rafters and a ceiling joist. In architecture a vault french voûte from italian volta is a self supporting arched form usually of stone or brick serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. A vaulted roof structure opens the space below for stylistic reasons or for the addition of an attic or loft area. The basic framing construction cost can increase by 5 to 20 percent in a home with a large 20 x 20 foot great room with a vaulted ceiling.

Exposed building materials can add interest. It is a substantial remodeling project. Engineered roof trusses may be designed to create a vaulted ceiling while still providing sufficient support for the roof s weight. Of the four basic roof shapes shed flat gable and hip only the flat roof is.

In a common truss design sloping top chords function just like rafters in conventional framing and horizontal bottom chords fill the role of ceiling joists. A vaulted ceiling in new construction is no more complicated than standard framing although it does require special roof trusses which are usually built off site. A howe scissors truss is so called because its appearance resembles that of an opened pair of scissors. It should be approached with care and help from a residential structural engineer.