How to nail shed roof trusses to top plates

by tommy
(bartonsville pa)

After you get the trusses lined up and ready to nail, how many nails do you use at each side and what location or angle on the wood do you nail them in?

Johns Answer:

Hi Tommy,

Use 3-16d nails and nail them as shown in the picture above. Be careful not to split the end of the truss and it would be a good idea to pre-drill the end first before nailing.

This takes a little extra time but well worth the effort.

Another great way of attaching the truss end to the top wall plate is to use a simpson fastener shown in the picture above, which you can find at your local lumber store.

Some building codes around the country require the use of a hurricane tie, also shown above, to add extra reinforcement for holding down roof trusses in the event of very strong winds.

These hurricane ties came about as a result of the hurricanes causing so much destruction to roof framing members down south particularly in Florida.

The Simpson Strong Tie images above were obtained off doing a google search for Simpson Strong Ties. The product is highly recommended for attaching your roof trusses to the top wall plate.

Hope this helps you out.

John