The roof is certainly one area that requires lots attention to detail when building your home. It has a great effect on the looks of the house and its structural integrity. More specifically, all these factors depend on the soundness of the structure holding the roof together. It could be a pre-engineered truss or an on-site stick structure made on the spot when working on the roof. Either way, both of these alternatives have a set of attributes, benefits and drawbacks that you need to understand in detail for you to make the right choice. Here is a thorough look at truss and stick roofing systems to help you gain more insight:

Truss Roofs

As mentioned earlier, a truss is a pre-manufactured structure in triangular form with varying measurements depending on the size of the section you are working on. Trusses are thus ready for installation immediately they are delivered on the site. You can manufacture your trusses using different materials such as steel or wood.

Benefits

• Precision- trusses are made by engineers who put in lots of input in terms of measurement and ensuring that the tensile strength of the material is ideal for your roof. This makes trusses reliable when building your roof.
• Speed-since they are pre-manufactured and tailored to suit your roof, trusses are easy to install. They will save you lots of precious time in the course of the construction.
• Insulation- trusses have lots of pieces knit together compared to stick roofs. They, therefore, allow you to install more insulation material with the attic, improving the efficiency of air conditioning systems.

Drawbacks

• Material Usage- trusses use lots of steel of wood pieces. This can make them expensive in some cases.

Stick Roofs

Generally, stick-framed roofs are made of a top beam connecting to several individual rafters. The pieces are put together one by one during construction, unlike a pre-manufactured truss.

Benefits

• Large Attic-unlike a truss, stick roofs leave so much room in the attic, which you can convert into an extra room or use for other purposes like storage. It also gives you a nice cathedral ceiling.
• Flexible-unlike fixed pre-made trusses, stick roofs are easy to manipulate and change I the future should need be. You can also play around with the design in the course of the construction process to match new aesthetic or functional ideas.

Drawback

• Errors- stick roofs are left to the judgment of the builder, and there is room for many errors in such cases. The support may be inadequate relative to the other roofing materials used.

Contact a roof truss supplier for more information and assistance.