Cutting Rafters For Attic Stairs

Instead you should place the cutout opening inline with the ceiling joists rafter ties.

Cutting rafters for attic stairs.

Most common attic trusses for homes and garages are made with 2x4 s. You potentially compromise too many of the rafter cross ties by doing that. Enjoy the videos and music you love upload original content and share it all with friends family and the world on youtube. Set the framing square on top of the rafter beam with the tongue facing the top of the rafter.

This completes the reframing process. Your parents roof rafters were probably made from 2x8 s and could have been 2x10 s or. Furnaces are often located in attic areas. Then use a pencil to trace the outside edge of the framing square s tongue.

Cut a 2 by 4 to fit horizontally from rafter to rafter on each truss. Lay a 4x8 3 4 sheet of plywood on each end of the truss on the bottom chord spanning to the two trusses on each side of the one to be cut. While they look the same you probably didn t notice the subtle differences. Choose which end of your rafter you want to be the top.

This is done to hold the bottom chord from pushing the wall out. Let s compare common roof trusses with the roof framing materials that were used in your parent s house. Cut the ends to the same angle you used for the pony wall studs. This way you only need to cut one of them to make the room for the rough framing opening.

Cutting and or removing joists to provide an entry or access can be the most difficult part of the overall project. Modifying floor or ceiling joists rafters for access. Figure 1 shows the floor or ceiling joists after the access hole has been cut to install a new flight of stairs or provide an attic access. Nail them to the rafters and angle nail the center support to the top edge of the horizontal brace.

The plumb or ridge cut is made at the top of the rafter. I would not put the attic stairs ladder assembly opening at right angles to the ceiling joists.