How To Remove Existing Wooden Roof Rafters From A Garage

When taking the roofing materials off be sure to extend the path of demolishing to each existing truss on each side of the damaged one.

How to remove existing wooden roof rafters from a garage. In face you won t be replacing the rafter but adding a support on the side along its length a process known as sistering. Remove the existing roof. The first step when removing a wood roof truss is to disassemble the existing roof that is causing a load upon the truss. This can seem like a huge job but in fact it s not too difficult.

The sad fact is your builder could have installed attic trusses over this garage for just slightly more than what the existing trusses cost. If the roof slope is steeper than 9 inches in 12 inches of run it doesn t take much width to end up with a nice room 12 feet wide with an 8 foot. Measure the dimensions of the old rafters beneath your roofing surface. Use a circular saw to cut two sets of new rafters from the same size wood by the same dimensions.

Remove the rotted wood with a chisel and pry bar. This can easily be accomplished by using a hammer and a crowbar. Attic trusses have a rectangular shape inside each truss. The rotten wood will come away easily.

Remember any alterations to a roof should be undertaken only with an engineer. Discard the wood in a garbage bin as you work to make the cleanup easier. However if you want to better utilize the space in your loft you may consider changing roof trusses and going for stick framing or rafters instead. Repeat the process for the joist beneath your old roof rafter.