Even if your trusses are layed out with equal spacing, it will be skewed when you factor in the thickness of the tail, depending on which side you sister to.Īlong with the added expense of the tails, you will be looking at additional thickness of the roof sheathing in the overhang area, and possibly even a decorative pattern in the bottom side. Truss layout had to be manipulated for the final exterior appearance to be balanced and spaced equally. Were doing a project, with 3 inch cedar tails (24 inch overhang), and they are thru bolted eight times in 6 feet of length onto the truss.

Even if you add the tails to the trusses, you are going to be subject to the layout of the truss in whaich you sister onto. Trusses are generally 2x4 or 6 material (in this area), and the contractor/builder specifies a different 'over the wall' size a 2x10 or 12 as the tail that can be altered on site to get the decoration.Įxposed rafter tails is a complicated system, especially with a truss layout. And I have even seen them done in trusses. If in a larger material (e.g., post and beam/timber frame), they are created at the factory. If they are in 2x material, the carpenter generally does it right there, on site, from the rough 2x stock. In my experience, fancy, 'detailed' rafter tails are designed and determined beforehand. I'm not trying to give you a hard time.but your to this old framer, your post is very confusing as to what you're trying to achieve, and what someone is telling you can and can't be done. I'm not sure I'm following you at all do you have trusses or rafters? You wanted fancy tails, okay.what is specified in the contract? What is in the plans and in the specs? The tails have to be DOVETAILED into the existing roof trusses? I don't think so. I would love to know what your experience is with this.anyone? with a sassy modern look.hey, I'm not making this up (my landscape designer told me this today). Has anyone else experienced this? What are you doing about your rafter tails? My home is a Med. that's 6K I had no idea I was going to spend. The cost is approximately $60 per 'tail'. I had to go to the local lumber mill (dixieline) and give them the drawing for the rafter tail design. I am writing this thread to inform you, if you want the look, it takes more planning then to just say, yeah, that looks good, do it. The length of the 'tail' has to be a 3 -1 measurement, this will equate to approximately a 6 foot 'tail' that needs to be dovetailed onto the existing roof truss.

I need about 100 rafter tails around my house. It's a lot of work and the added decorative measure can really add up. The rafter tails, if you want them decorative have to be dovetailed into the roof trusses/beams that run the slant range of the roof.

I had originally specified I wanted some sort of decorative rafter tails, but I thought the roof trusses/beams just came that way.īoy was I wrong. So here we are, finally framing in the second story of our home and I get a call from the framer asking me about the rafter tails.

Decorative rafter tail alligator