For many years the roof space has been largely ignored, but not anymore. Room in the Roof, attic trusses, are the ideal way to increase the habitable area of a house, or improve the storage area.

Provision for creating extra rooms may be incorporated at the inital design stage for immediate use, or conversion later into living accommodation to suit the house owner’s changing circumstances. No extra strengthening of the trusses will be required.

Attic trusses will provide living accomodation in the roof space; therefore, care has to be taken with respect to stairwells, rooflights and dormers. Usually these are wider than the truss spacings, but difficulties can be overcome by grouping trusses together to form compound girder trusses on either side of the openings. Common rafters and floor joists can be supported by purlins and binders between the compound trusses.

Stairwells should lie along the line of trusses to avoid cutting across them, and similarly, to avoid too many compound trusses, dormers and rooflights should be situated opposite each other.

Always inform us of any dormer windows or stairwells to be installed. Even items to be installed at a later date must still be designed for from the beginning. Trusses can not be cut at a later date. Never cut trusses!

Attic trusses for roofs over 3.7 metres in height must be made in two parts due to delivery height restrictions.

Loadings to attic trusses are usually greater than normal trusses, consequently, timber sizes are larger and spacings may need to be reduced.

And don’t forget to brighten up your new room by installing VELUX® Windows.