Hipped roof frame joint? Information, help and tips on many areas of roofing including trusses, tiling, venting, insulation etc....

[mortarboard]

Hi - I am building a hipped roof that comes off the side of my house like a lean to. I have my plate along the wall and another timber to fix along the house wall at top for my notched rafters. Can anyone tell what should happen where the hip rafter meets the wood at the top. Is there a special joint at the top of the triangles or something? And if so does anyone know of an online diagram somewhere for this? Thanks - M

[bd3cc]

From your description I think it is like many roofing joints and just has to be cut correctly, according to pitch etc, rather like a birdsmouth.
Not difficult when you know how, wish I did, but someone should.

[mortarboard]

Thanks bd3cc - the problem I have is that three corner rafters at the hip all meet at the same point at the top so I'm not sure what sits on what...

[bd3cc]

If I understand you roof, and I am not of roofing expert,I think I would put the last of the front face rafters the width of the hip rafter away from the end of the wall plate, and then nestle the hip into the right angle formed by the rafter and plate, so that it sits squarely on both of the above, and can be fixed into both. This does involve 2 cuts to the top of the hip, but should be do able.
Judging by some of the roofs I have seen, the "4 inch steel dowel" can overcome a lot of problems.
Hope this makes sense and helps

[bd3cc]

No roofing expert but from what I have seen, place the final front face rafter 2" from the end of the wall plate, and fit the hip rafterninto the joint.
Hope that makes sense and helps

[mortarboard]

Thanks for that bd3cc

I assume from what you are saying that my third rafter (sloping up the wall to the wall plate) would then just work like a jack rafter and lean against the hip at the top?

[bd3cc]

Cant PM you, but have a diagram for an email address. try a PM.

[mortarboard]

PM is disabled on this board.

Do you have a link to it on the web?

Or (if this is allowed) you can email me the diagram at hipframe at googlemail dot com

[bd3cc]

Have tried to do he latter

[mike8man]

I have a similar problem as mortarboard. I'm building a single storey extension with a 4 sided rectangular hipped roof where the top half is glass and the bottom half tile, with a steel ring beam at half height to support the rafters and my ridge and rafters will be exposed (requiring neat joints) under the glass roof. I can't find on the web any detail of suitable joints for where the 5 rafters on each end meet the ridge board. Please advise