There are various types of roof truss available, each with their own benefits. Which one you choose will depend on your budget, building restrictions and personal preference. In this blog we'll go through the most popular types of roof truss and explain the positives and negatives of each.
Standard (or Fink) Truss
This is the most popular truss type and is used for homes, garages, extensions, sheds and more. If you've purchased a new build, it'll almost certainly feature a run of standard trusses such as these.
Positive: Low cost
Timber sizes are kept small thanks to the triangulation providing strength, leading to a lower overall cost.
Negative: Attic is uninhabitable
Because of this triangulation, the space within the truss isn't habitable. You can store paraphernalia between the trusses, but it's a bit awkward.
Attic Truss
An attic truss, as the name may suggest, is a truss that provides a useable attic! The timber sizes are increased, the triangulation is removed and you're left with a nice big space in the middle that forms a bedroom, office, storage area or within reason whatever you fancy.
Positive: Habitable space
Rather than the roof space being wasted or simply used for old decorations, you can use it as an additional floor in your home. This not only gives you more space but also increases your home's value thanks to the added square footage.
Negative: Initially more expensive
You'll pay around 4x more for attic trusses than standard trusses. Do keep in mind you'll make it back in the long run when you sell your home, though, so this isn't really a negative.
Raised Tie Truss
A raised tie truss is similar to a standard truss, however, the webs have been shifted up to offer increased ceiling height. From a practical standpoint this is particularly useful if your home is restricted to a certain height, as you can remove space from the attic, an area most don't use, and place it in a room you use more frequently.
Positive: Increased ceiling height, character
As well as an increased ceiling height, they also offer more character than previously mentioned trusses.
Negative: More expensive, takes space away from the attic
You could pay up to twice the amount for raised tie trusses than you would for standard trusses. They also remove space from your attic, if this is important to you.
Scissor Trusses
Offering similar benefits to a raised tie truss, the scissor truss gives you even more ceiling height in a traditional and characterful 'vaulted' style.
Positive: Increased ceiling height, character, great value
Scissor trusses add bags of character to an otherwise dull room and typically cost no more than standard trusses.
Negative: Little to no attic space
This style takes almost all useable space away from the attic, meaning you'll struggle to get much up there.
Mono Truss
Mono trusses can be used on extensions, porches, as part of your main roof structure or as the main structure itself.
Positive: Versatile, good value
Mono trusses are good value, can be used in a variety of different ways and are simple to manufacture and install.
Negative: Limited span
Due to their asymmetric design, they're limited to shorter spans than other options.