Green comment for today:Consider using engineered wood instead of dimensional lumber. The I-joists I am using for rafters have the following advantages compared to the solid dimensional 2X10 members they replace:
- they are constructed with small leftover scraps from other wood manufacturing processes, thereby reducing harvesting of additional trees
- they use less material to provide equivalent stiffness
- they do not warp
I can hear you asking why I used solid dimensional lumber for the loft floor joists. I needed to keep the floor as thin as possible to save ceiling height in the bedroom. I was able to use 2X8 dimensional joists. I-joists do not come any smaller than 2X10, and I did not want to lose 2” of headroom in the bedroom.
I’ll close today with a great panorama shot I got while up about 40 feet on the telehandler. Thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment.
Thanks for the lift Trevor!
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3 comments:
Although engineered I-Joists may have the "green" benefits as described, they do not hold up well in fire conditions. I-Joists and their dirty cousin Engineered Trusses may provide "equivelant" strength, they also have a long history of failing during fires, which have lead to many deaths of firefighters over the years. Although a traditional wood rafter system may use more lumber which, let us not forget is a renewable crop, they are immensly more safe for firefighter who may have to work on the roof of the structure, in an attempt to preserve your property or save your life. Just something to think about.
Thanks for the comments Joe. I know you are very experienced in what you are talking about. I hope that the fire resistant unvented eaves, metal roof and fire rating on the ceiling sheetrock will keep the rafters intact long enough to protect the home or get out safely in the event of a fire.
Nice View.
Paul
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