People often confuse trusses and rafters with each other, when in reality, the two have stark differences. Although they have similar purposes, they execute them in entirely different ways. So, what to choose for your cozy Hawaiian home?
Well, for that, you must first understand what exactly these words mean. In essence, trusses are optimized methods of wooden support for the roof of your house. These connect the walls of your house as well.
Rafters, on the other hand, refer to the more traditional stick framing built to hold the roof together. Both rafters and trusses have their own pros and cons. However, trusses do pull ahead in this race due to several advantages over rafters.
If you wish to know more about the various advantages posed by prefabricated floor trusses in Hawaii, read on!
Why choose trusses over rafters?
With the global roof truss market expected to reach a market value of USD 1251.25 Million, roof trusses have come a long way. Here are some of the top reasons for choosing trusses over rafters:
The installation time for rafters is quite long
Installing rafters is not necessarily an easy task. Since they have more room for error and have a long manufacturing process, it takes quite some time to set up. For instance, installing rafters over just one building might take over a week.
On the other hand, when it comes to trusses, they are a lot faster and easier to install. For instance, let’s say you have a 2,500 sq. ft. home. With the right tools and workers onsite, you can have the trusses installed in just one day.
This will end up saving a lot of time in construction projects. Furthermore, once these trusses are installed, roof sheathing goes up next. This helps protect the rest of the structure from natural occurrences such as sunlight, bad weather, rainfall, etc.
Since rafters take more time to install, the structure is much more vulnerable to bad weather, resulting in wear and tear.
Trusses are a lot more affordable
The initial cost of trusses is high because of the prefabrication. This might seem like the more expensive option; however, remember that the time and labor required to install rafters are considerably high. Hence, you might spend a lot on labor charges due to the longer installation time.
Furthermore, rafters use a lot more wood compared to trusses. If the price of lumber goes up, then setting up rafters would get even more expensive.
Choose trusses for a more open floor plan
Trusses have a lot better span capacity. They are built with shorter lumber as compared to rafters; however, they can span farther distances because of the way they are set up. As a result, you unlock the scope for better design options, as well as a much more spacious floor plan.
Trusses are the way to make your home feel bigger despite the smaller square footage.
These are the top three reasons for choosing trusses over rafters. Along with adding more space to your home, trusses are a lot more affordable, and are easier to set up. Furthermore, prefabricated floor trusses in Hawaii are generally better for larger structures. So, choose roof trusses, and take the more economical yet beneficial call.
