Benefits of a Scissor Truss
The scissor truss is one of the most commonly recommended kinds of roof truss, usually seen in residential spaces. Roof trusses are used to enhance the stability of commercial and household roof structures. They're particularly useful if the roof is constantly exposed to extreme weather variations or the house is located on an unstable soil-bed. Some types of roof trusses can be modified for custom fitting according to different style, size and design preferences. Installing and maintaining a roof truss can be very tedious. Such issues arise if the truss is not compatible with the roof type or has complex framing components. The contemporary roofing solutions market offers many kinds of trusses. The commonly retailed choices include stub, kingpost/queenpost, mono-pitch, studio and inverted trusses. However, a scissor truss is the most sensible trussing choice for homeowners, as it offers a number of benefits, such as:
Benefit 1: Scissor Truss Installation Is Cheaper
Some roof trusses need add-ons, like framing supports, to ensure that the truss is able to align (bend) along demanding ceiling surfaces such as sloping or vaulted ceilings. Many roofing contractors combine conventional trusses, such as a stub truss, along with small sections of specialized trusses to provide better coverage of the roof area. However, the presence of different trussing materials makes the entire structure demanding in terms of installation costs. A scissor truss is easy to maneuver, combining the stability of a conventional roof truss along with flexible framing. Among other roof truss options, roofing fillers are often added to fill in the gaps between the roof structure and the truss' frame. Such gaps are not found on scissor trusses. This negates the need to use any form of supportive, trussing components or specialized installation techniques. Lesser amount of framing (usually steel or wood beams) and use of a single trussing material translate into significant cost savings.
Benefit 2: Easier to Maintain or Repair
Moisture-induced deterioration is the biggest maintenance issue among roof trusses. A typical scissor truss has a slightly-sloping structure which doesn't allow the water to collect. The use of high-intensity hammer beams in scissor trusses makes them less susceptible to structural damage issues, such as surface cracking. Even if some repairs are needed, a scissor truss offers some remarkable advantages.
Repair techniques used to mend aged trusses depend upon whether the frame's components are concealed or exposed. A scissor truss is undemanding in terms of its overall configuration. Most scissor trusses tend to have a straightforward layout, wherein joints along the high-stress areas are clearly marked. This makes it easier to repair a moisture-damaged or leaking scissor truss. A scissor truss is easier to handle in terms of periodic cleaning requirements, as less framing is used. Less framing also makes the trussing beams and joints more accessible when undertaking minor repairs. A typical wooden scissor truss can be easily repaired with basic woodworking techniques and the use of simple household tools.
Benefit 3: Scissor Truss Offers Customization
A scissor truss can be designed and customized according to suit various roof designs. Most truss or roof fabrication retailers offer choices like increasing or decreasing the interior slope of a scissor truss. In fact, none of the other roof trusses can be modified to create the cathedral-like ceiling that offers substantial, internally roofed space. Such customization is possible only with a scissor truss.
