The rafters are fastened to the floor beams during the construction of mansard roofs with low weight. Mounting points are obtained as reliable as possible if you choose the right mounting option and follow the technology.

Features of the truss system

When designing a roof structure, it is necessary to choose the appropriate option for the truss system. Among others, layered and hanging rafters should be distinguished. For light roofs of an impressive area, hanging-type trusses are usually used. For them, the walls act as a support.

More solid and complex is the system with B they have additional points of support. When erecting a roof, the truss system relies on a mauerlat, which is a structure on the longitudinal walls or installed around the perimeter of the house. This option for attaching rafters to floor beams is used if the house is being built from blocks or bricks.

If a concrete monolithic beam is located on top of the walls or the walls are made of logs or timber, then the roof rests on a horizontal beam, and not on a Mauerlat. The beams in this case overlap the building box in the transverse direction. The simplest option for a light mansard roof is a roof frame that rests on beams.

During the design process, it is necessary to calculate the rafter legs and the thickness of the beams, taking into account the loads on the roofing system. During installation, it is necessary to ensure that the rafters are supported on the beams. Fastening rafters to floor beams without a Mauerlat can only be carried out if the walls of the building can withstand impressive point loads.

In what cases is it based on floor beams

If the floor beam acts as a support, then the system creates high loads on building structures. This approach is relevant in the construction of wooden houses, because timber or logs oriented horizontally provide an even distribution of the load. But in the case of brick walls, undistributed pressure can be destructive, which is especially true for those places where there are floor beams, in which case the edge of the wall crumbles.

To disperse pressure, the Mauerlat is laid on the crest of the wall. It is made of a thick square bar with a side of 150 mm. But when the rafters are fastened to the floor beams, then the walls will not collapse under the weight of the roof, because the Mauerlat will act as a relief element. In order to protect block or brick walls when they are subjected to high loads, a reinforced concrete belt should be made in their upper part.

Fastening principles

To date, rafters to floor beams can be attached in one of several ways. In this case, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of slipping of the rafters from the support. For this, it is necessary to use joints with spikes and grooves, which are prepared in both elements.

An alternative solution is metal fasteners. The rafters can be fastened to with bolts. In this case, the kit consists of a nut, bolt and washer. At the end of the beam, which protrudes from the back, it is necessary to form a triangular cutout. Its hypotenuse should be located at an angle that matches the slope of the rafters. The lower part of the rafter leg is sawn at the same angle.

When the rafter is installed on the beam, it must be strengthened with nails, and then a through hole must be drilled, which will be located perpendicular to the rafter leg. Holes are needed for the bolts, they need to be placed from below and passed through the cutout that is in the beam.

The washer is put on the bolt, and with the help of the nut it will be possible to fix the knot. Wooden elements weaken over time if the rafters are fastened to the floor beams of a pitched roof using through holes. For this reason, the most common connections are spike, stop and tooth.

When considering mounting options, you should note that the configuration will depend on the angle of the ramps. If the ramp is steep, it will experience a reduced snow load, in which case it is sufficient to use a single tooth mount. Double is used when installing the roof, if the angle of inclination is less than 35 °. This type of fastening allows you to increase the area of \u200b\u200bsupport and ensure high strength of the assembly.

Fastening the rafters to the floor beams, the photo of which you will find in the article, can be carried out by cutting. In this case, we are talking about an ordinary tooth, which is made with a tenon cut, which eliminates lateral movement under load. Under the spike, it is necessary to provide a nest, which is located in the beam. In order not to weaken it, the depth of the nest must be calculated taking into account the thickness of the beam, the first will be from 1/3 to 1/4 of the latter.

Stepping back from the edge of the floor beam 25 cm, it is necessary to make a cutout to prevent chips. The double tooth is complemented by a pair of spikes, a key connection and an emphasis with a spike. The latter may also be without a spike. Both teeth should have the same incision depth, but you can use a different incision depth if necessary. In this case, we are talking about the case when the first tooth is complemented by a spike. Cutting is carried out by a third of the thickness of the support beam. The second tooth is cut in half.

When considering ways to attach rafters to floor joists, you must consider that the grooves cannot hold the rafter legs, which are loaded. In addition to the cut, using metal fasteners, it is necessary to fix the connecting node. If we are talking about fixed joints, then the nails must be driven in at an angle. You can use metal pads or connections in the form of clamps. The fastening of rafters to the floor beams of a gable roof with any technology is supplemented with forged wire, which strengthens the connection and is fixed on the anchor. The latter is mounted on the wall.

How to ensure a reliable connection

Rafters with a beam will be securely connected if you use high-quality fasteners. These should be steel elements with anti-corrosion treatment, which are based on durable material. Cuts and cuts should be performed as carefully as possible, while gaskets and liners should not be used, which reduce the strength of the assembly, and eventually deform or fly out. It is important to use templates if there is a need to make a cut or wash down. In the process of work, rafter fasteners are used.

Fastening rafters to the frame

The system of rafters on the frame is installed according to a certain algorithm. This is due to many factors. Firstly, the structure of wood has its own geometric dimensions, which can change during shrinkage. Secondly, air humidity can affect the fastening. It is imperative to check the last crown for horizontality so that the rafters lie correctly and the load transfer to the structure is uniform.

The installation sites of the rafters must be marked. If the gables are made of timber and logs or beams, then a ridge beam will rest on them, in which case the technology for attaching the rafters will differ from rigid fixation, where metal corners or cuts are used.

How to avoid mistakes

The pediments in the process of shrinkage will change their original dimensions, decreasing in height by 15 cm. Therefore, the rigid fastening of the rafters to the floor beams with a nail will cause deformation of the rafter legs. As a result, cracks form throughout the roof. In order to eliminate such problems, sliding fasteners are used when installing rafters.

The need for overlap when bolting

If you still have not decided which technology to install the rafters, you should take into account that the connection of the legs in the ridge part is made movable, because the angle should change when the gables shrink. The rafter legs are fixed with an overlap, and for this you need to use a bolted connection.

An alternative solution is the use of mounting metal plates, while it is important to provide clearance and arrange the elements end to end. The rafter legs are fixed from below with a groove that is made in the upper crown. The rafter must be installed with an overhang, and its size will be determined during the design process. If necessary, the fastening of the attic rafters to the floor beams is carried out in such a way that the element is located with an edge on a log, a groove is not required. A variant can be used when the horizontal beam of the floor acts as the attachment point.

For reference

In the process of building a roof, you need to pay attention to all the little things. From this, as well as from the quality of the materials used, the durability and strength of the structure will depend. For example, when fixing rafters to floor beams, which is quite rare, it is necessary to follow the technology. This approach is also relevant for wooden, block and brick houses. Including those that were built from foam blocks.

Conclusion

In each of these cases, it is necessary to observe its own installation features. For example, if the rafters are attached to the floor beams in the case of a gable roof, then the structure is quite strong. In this case, the point load increases, but this does not have any effect on the strength of the walls. Everything is explained by one circumstance: long beams are used during construction, and the floor beam exerts pressure on them, like rafters. As a result, it is possible to achieve a uniform distribution of the load over the entire wall.

Fastening rafters to floor beams is usually required when building light mansard roofs. The choice of the optimal mounting option and compliance with the technology will ensure the reliability of the attachment points.

Features of the truss system

When designing a roof structure, you need to choose the most suitable variant of the truss system. It can be hanging or layered rafters. Hanging type trusses are usually used to equip a light roof of a large area. The walls of the structure serve as a support for hanging rafters. Systems with layered rafters are more complex and solid structures in which the rafter legs have additional points of support.

During the construction of the roof, the truss system is usually based on the Mauerlat - wooden structures mounted on the longitudinal walls or along the perimeter of the building. This mounting option is used when building a roof on brick or block houses. If a monolithic concrete beam is made along the top of the walls, or the walls are made of timber or logs, the roof may not rest on the Mauerlat, but on horizontal beams that overlap the building box in the transverse direction.

A roof frame supported by beams is the simplest option for building a light mansard roof. When designing, it is important to correctly calculate the thickness of the beams and rafter legs, taking into account the loads on the roofing system. During installation, it is necessary to correctly support the rafters on the floor beams.

A roof supported by rafters on floor beams without a mauerlat can be mounted provided that the walls of the building are able to withstand high point loads.

When is a truss system based on floor beams used?

If the hanging rafters are supported by floor beams laid directly on the wall, then such a system creates serious point loads on building structures. Typically, this approach is practiced in the construction of wooden houses, since horizontally located logs or beams from which the walls are made contribute to an even distribution of loads.

For brick walls, undistributed pressure is destructive - at the locations of the floor beams, the edge of the wall begins to crumble. To disperse the pressure, a Mauerlat made of thick timber should be laid on the crest of the wall (a section of 150 × 150 mm is recommended). If a roofing option is chosen, which provides for fastening the rafters to the floor beams, then the beams are laid on top of the Mauerlat and securely attached to it. In this case, the walls do not collapse under the weight of the roof, since the mauerlat acts as a relief element for the walls. In order to maximally protect brick or block walls from destruction under high loads, a concrete reinforced belt is preliminarily made in their upper part.

Principles for calculating beams and rafters

At the stage of preparation for construction, the calculation of rafters and floor beams is performed. When designing a roof frame, one should take into account the climatic features of the region, first of all, the characteristic snow and wind loads. Based on the tabular data and the requirements of SNiP regarding the permissible deflection values, the calculation of the sections of the elements of the truss system is performed - roof beams, rafters, truss parts. Among other things, it is required to perform structural calculations to determine the step of laying beams. The distance between the beams determines the installation step of the rafters.

Horizontal beams are laid on walls or mauerlat perpendicular to the length of the building. When designing, it should be taken into account that the beams on both sides should extend at least 40 cm beyond the plane of the wall. To ensure the necessary accuracy, first of all, the extreme beams are mounted, and then their ends are connected in pairs with tensioned cords, relative to which the remaining beams are laid. Closer to the ends in the beams, special grooves are made for secure fastening of the rafters.

Principles of attaching rafters to beams

There are various ways to attach rafters to floor beams. It is important to prevent the rafters from slipping off the support. For this, joints with grooves and spikes cut in both elements are used, or metal fasteners are used.

Bolted connection involves the use of a set consisting of a bolt, nut and washer. At the protruding end of the floor beam, a triangular cut is made on the back side so that its hypotenuse is located at an angle corresponding to the angle of the rafter. The lower part of the rafter leg is sawn at the same angle. Having installed the rafter with a cut on the beam, it should be fixed with nails, and then, perpendicular to the plane of the rafter leg, drill a through hole for the bolt so that it can be passed from below through the cutout made in the beam. A washer is put on the bolt and the assembly is fixed with a nut.

The connection with through holes weakens the wooden elements, therefore, connections with a tooth, stop, spike are more often used.

Considering options for how to attach rafters to beams, it should be noted that the mounting configuration depends on the angle of inclination of the roof slopes. For roofs with steep slopes that experience a reduced snow load, it is sufficient to use fasteners with a single tooth. Double tooth is used when installing roofs with a slope angle of less than 35 degrees. This type of fastening makes it possible not only to increase the support area, but also to achieve high knot strength.

Cutting using the single tooth method is most often performed with an additional tenon cut that prevents lateral shifts of the rafters under loads. In this case, a corresponding socket in the beam should be provided for the spike. In order not to weaken the beam, the depth of the socket should be 1/3-1/4 of the thickness of the beam. The cut is made at least 25 cm from the edge of the floor beam to avoid chipping.

A double tooth is usually complemented by two spikes, an emphasis with or without a spike, a key connection. Most often, both teeth have the same insertion depth, but if necessary, an insertion to a different depth is also used. For example, the first tooth, supplemented with a spike, is cut into a third of the thickness of the support beam, and the second - by half.

By themselves, the grooves cannot hold the rafter legs under load. In addition to the notch, the connecting unit is reinforced with metal fasteners. For fixed joints, nails are driven in at an angle. Metal linings, clamp connections can be used. The connection of the rafter with the beam (for any technology of its implementation) should additionally be fixed with forged wire, which is fixed on an anchor built into the wall.

The connection of the rafters with the beam will be reliable if:

high-quality fasteners are used (metal elements made of durable material with anti-corrosion treatment);
cuts and cuts are carefully performed (the use of liners and gaskets reduces the strength of the knot, over time they can fly out or deform);
cuts and cuts are made according to templates;
special rafter fasteners are used.

Installation of rafters on a log house

The installation of rafters on a log house has its own characteristics, since buildings made of wood change their geometric dimensions during shrinkage, as well as when air humidity changes.

The last crown of the log house should be checked for horizontality so that the rafters lie correctly and evenly transfer loads to the structure. Then the installation sites of the rafters are marked. If the gables of the structure are made of timber or logs and the ridge beam rests on them, then the technology for mounting the rafters differs from the standard rigid fasteners using notches with a spike and metal corners.

Gables made of logs or timber in the process of shrinkage of the log house change their dimensions, decreasing by 10-15 centimeters in height. Thus, the rigid fastening of the rafter legs to the walls and the ridge run will lead to deformation of the rafter legs, and, as a result, cracks form in the entire roof or in the gables during shrinkage. To avoid such consequences, special sliding fasteners are used during the installation of rafters..

When determining how to install the rafters on the frame, it must be taken into account that in this case the joints of the rafter legs in the ridge part are movable - it should be possible to change the angle when the gables shrink. To do this, the rafter legs are overlapped with a bolted connection, or using special metal mounting plates (in this case, end-to-end with a mandatory gap).

The lower part of the rafter leg can be attached to a groove made in the upper crown of the wall. In this case, the rafter is installed with an overhang, the value of which is determined during the design. If necessary, the rafter leg is installed with the lower edge on the log without a groove. An option is also used when the place of attachment of the rafter leg is a horizontal floor beam.

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9 ways to make and fix ceiling beams with your own hands

In the interior, I have always liked minimalism: smooth smooth surfaces, a minimum of unnecessary details, a maximum of functionality. And lately I have been drawn to something more comfortable, even rustic. I'm still not ready for furniture carvings, lots of textiles or a bunch of small pendants on a chandelier, but I really want to use such noticeable and space-changing details as decorative ceiling beams in the design.

And they just don't exist! Wooden, polyurethane, plastic, chipboard, MDF and drywall - for every taste and opportunity. You can buy ready-made or make your own. But in each case, the methods of fastening will be different.

Choice of design and construction of beams

Before you start doing something, you need to draw up a plan, think over the design, calculate the materials. After all, ceiling beams can not only decorate the interior, but also hide some surface defects, visually change the spatial perception of the room, and become a functional element of the house.

For example, you can use them to:

hide the joints of the plates on the ceiling or the transition from one type of finish to another;

visually make the room wider (transverse arrangement) or longer (longitudinal arrangement);

“ground down” disproportionately high ceilings to make the room psychologically more comfortable. To do this, they are often attached below the main level;

highlight functional areas by dividing the room with one transverse beam with built-in lights or by placing several in one part;

false beams hollow inside, having a box section - an ideal way to covertly lay electrical wires, pipes, air ducts and other communications, as well as the installation of built-in lamps without installing a false ceiling, which reduces the height of the room.

In order for the interior to look advantageous, not to be overloaded with unnecessary details, it is necessary, of course, to take into account the parameters of the room. For example, if the ceiling height is small, the distance between the ceiling beams should be made wider, and they themselves should be less voluminous.

And sometimes the beams do not have to be installed by ourselves - they already exist and are load-bearing structures that annoy the residents with their appearance. But any disadvantage can always be turned into a virtue, if you know the tricks of how to beat the beam, harmoniously fitting it into the interior.

But I still want to talk not about the aesthetic, but about the practical side of the issue: how these decorative elements - ready-made or home-made - are made and installed.

Wooden

Wood products are massive - from solid wood, and prefabricated - from individual planks. Most often, durable and practical conifers are used for their manufacture.

In any case, the wood must be dry and clean, free of rot and insect damage. And so that they do not appear in the future, it is treated with antiseptic compounds.

Method 1 - push-through mounting

This method is used to install massive beams from a bar, for which a through hole is drilled in it to fit the size of the fastener, and it is screwed directly to the base.

The choice of fasteners depends on the base material:

If it is a tree, long self-tapping screws are sufficient, screwed in increments of 15-30 cm, depending on the thickness and weight of the decorative element.
If finishing is done in a block or brick house with concrete floor slabs, dowel nails or anchors are needed.

Fastener caps must be recessed into the body of the beam. After installation, these holes are sealed with putty on wood of a suitable shade.

Method 2 - hanging

Here, special metal linings are used on the wall with a nest in which the end of the beam lies.

This method is convenient when the beams need to be lowered below the ceiling level or when they cannot be stitched through due to the small section of the mounting edge. For example, as in the case of using a thick board placed on edge.

The overlays are subsequently hidden under a layer of plaster or cladding. If such a finish is not planned, they can be disguised by wrapping chains, ropes and other decorative ornaments that match the style around the ends.

Method 3 - to the console

Another option on how to fix the beam without touching the ceiling is to lay it with its ends on the consoles fixed on the wall at the desired height.

The last two methods are the only possible ones for light suspended plasterboard or stretch ceilings, if you have not thought about embedded elements in advance. But they can only be used for solid beams that are not spliced along the length. And they themselves should not be very long, otherwise they will sag over time, not being fixed along the entire length.

If you take a long and heavy beam, then the only way to correct the deflection of the beam is to install props under it. But they can be beaten by turning them into decorative columns or racks with shelves.

Method 4 - fastening false beams to bars

Wooden false beams can be bought or made by yourself. To do this, you need well-dried edged boards. If you take raw ones, then even with a perfect fit of the joints, they will become noticeable over time, as the wood will dry out.

Depending on the availability of tools, such boxes can be made in two ways: with a saw cut of the ends under 45 0 and without saw cuts. In the first case, you will need this tool:

We take three boards, outline the dimensions and saw off in length and width. At this stage, you can immediately carry out a preliminary decorative finish of each plank. For example, age the surface by removing soft fibers from the top layer with a metal brush or a drill attachment.

Then, with a plunge saw, we cut off one longitudinal side of the side planks, and two of the front ones.

We lubricate the joints with glue - carpentry, PVA or special furniture, press them together and fix the joint with finishing nails or just thin carnations with bitten off hats.

When the structure grabs, we grind the outer corners with sandpaper, if there are gaps, we close them with putty, after which it dries, we grind again and cover the entire part with a decorative composition - varnish, impregnation,.

Now about how to make a similar false beam, if there is nothing to carefully cut off the ends. To do this, after cutting and grinding the blanks, small bars of the same length are screwed to the side parts from the inside. Self-tapping screws should enter the body of the board, but not come out.

Then, holes are drilled in each bar on adjacent faces between the attachment points to fix the front panel.

Before screwing the front bar, glue must also be applied to the lower edges of the bars. Further - the same processing as in the previous version.

Despite the fact that such ceiling beams much lighter than massive ones, they still have a decent weight, so you need to fasten them securely. To do this, first a thick board is attached to the ceiling with a width equal to the internal distance between the side walls of the box. Instead of a board, you can take a couple of bars, as in the next photo.

It remains to put the false beam on the bars and fix it with self-tapping screws, drowning the hats and filling the recesses with putty. If the box is relatively light, you can do it with finishing nails more often - they are unlikely to be noticeable at such a height.

Plasterboard

Drywall is a versatile material. From it you can make a design of any shape, even curved. And the beam is the same box that many make around the perimeter of the ceiling for installing spotlights. Only in our case they will go across it.

Method 5 - on a metal frame

I do not think that there is a need to explain something in detail to those who have already dealt with drywall. And for those who did not have, you can read articles on this topic, where everything is described in detail. Therefore, briefly and in pictures.

After finishing putty, you can finish such ceiling beams in any way: paint, wallpaper, tile, etc.

Method 6 - on a wooden frame

Everything is the same, only the frame is made of wooden blocks. They will also help solve the difficult task of how to beat a beam on the ceiling in an apartment: if it looks unpresentable, it is enough to fix even rails on it and sheathe it with drywall.

you can add similar parallel or transverse beams;

or build similar boxes around the perimeter;

if the intersecting beams are pasted over with polyurethane moldings, puttied and painted, it will look like a coffered ceiling in a classic style;

Finished items

It is absolutely not necessary to invent and make something yourself, since decorative beams can be bought ready-made. They are made from wood-like materials - chipboard, plywood, MDF with veneer, staining, lamination. And also from plastic as cable channels and from polyurethane.

The latest products are distinguished by a variety of designs and shapes. Most often, they imitate wood, and so believable that it is impossible to distinguish them from natural material.

In addition to aesthetic external parameters, they are lightweight and moisture resistant. The lightness of the product allows you to mount it even to plasterboard ceilings without the installation of mortgages, and moisture resistance - to hide water pipes and air conditioning systems in them, and the fight against condensate on the ceiling under the beams will no longer be a problem.

For each type of finished beams, their own installation methods have been developed.

Method 7 - on wedge bars

In this way, light polyurethane beams are mounted on the ceiling. The whole process is shown in the picture:

The distance between the inner walls of the box is measured, short wedge-shaped bars are cut to this size.
Marking is done on the ceiling.
A hole is drilled in the bars for a mounting screw or anchor, and they are screwed along the marking line in increments of 1 meter, including at the junction of the elements, if any.
The ends of the bars and beams are lubricated with glue.
Decorative elements are carefully “fitted” onto the bars, pressed against the plane of the ceiling and additionally fixed with self-tapping screws.

Since the joints of polyurethane products cannot be sanded and covered with putty, they are decorated. You can use coarse twine, rope, staples and other improvised means.

Method 8 - using guides

Some companies produce decorative beams with hidden fasteners. These are metal rails mounted on the ceiling, to which the beams are attached with special clamps.

The guides can be not only metal, but also made of the same material as the decorative box itself, but without finishing - it is still not visible after installation.

Depending on the size, everything can be hidden in them - from wires to air ducts.

Method 9 - cable beams

This is the cheapest, but also the most artificial kind of our decorative element. It is possible to suspect a real wooden beam in it only with a good imagination, since plastic betrays itself in spite of neither the pattern nor the wood-like coloring.

The channel itself is attached to the wall or ceiling, and after laying any type of communications in it, the cover snaps into place on it. Everything is simple and fast, but hardly suitable for creating a warm home interior. Although for hi-tech and minimalism - why not? You can even take white or colored without imitation wood.

If the support beam

Supporting structures also need finishing. If you want to hide the beams completely, they are simply included in the frame system for sheathing with slab materials, clapboard or panels.

But this is not always possible if the ceiling height is small. For example, in a bathhouse or an old house. Then it remains only to veneer the beam itself with wood or, if the size allows, “dress” it in a polyurethane cover.

But what if the beam is bent or cracked, and there is a danger that it will not withstand the load from the ceiling? There are at least three ways to solve this problem yourself.

The first is the installation of a retaining beam. I already mentioned him.
The second way to strengthen the beam is to pull it together with metal strips. For this, her first prop up, returning to the original level, then long strips of metal with a thickness of at least 5 mm are applied on both sides, they are drilled every 15-20 cm and tightened through the beam with bolts. After that, the support can be removed.

The third is to use a bar of the same section on one side instead of metal plates. After installing the support, it is pulled together with the main studs.

Of course, there is no need to talk about the aesthetics of beams reinforced in such ways, therefore, after repair, it is also desirable to ennoble them by covering them with a box made of wood or drywall.

Conclusion

Since in the near future, if everything goes well, we are going to buy a wooden house, the problem of its electrification and water supply worries me already now: I don’t like wires and pipes in plain sight. And the ceiling beams, which nothing can prevent me from installing on the walls, perfectly solve these problems, at the same time satisfying the suddenly awakened craving for rustic comfort.

If some of the readers have solved them in a similar way, I will be grateful for the photo and description in the comments to this article.

November 9, 2016

If you want to express gratitude, add a clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thanks!

The strength of the roof is the total strength and quality of all its constituent elements: rafters, beams, ridge run and battens. And also how tightly and competently these elements are interconnected. After all, almost every one of us is able to deal with the cross section and calculation of the load of the roof, but here's how to fix the rafters so that the roof has served faithfully for at least half a century?

In fact, this is a whole science, and each type of roofing assembly has its pros and cons, and the same type of fastening can have a very different effect on the strength of different roofs. Therefore, let's approach this issue with all responsibility!

Types of truss systems according to the level of load on the nodes

There are two types of rafters - layered and hanging. Main design features:

Hanging rafters are distinguished by the fact that they always rest with their upper ends against each other and there is no support under their junction. And in order to balance the load from the roof, they are connected to the lower part of their rafters with another element - a puff.

It turns out a regular triangle, in which only the lower element works for tension. Another beam in the roof, where the rafters also need to be attached, is called a bed. It is located horizontally and supports the ridge run.

Types of support nodes according to the level of rigidity

It is those places where the rafters are attached to the roof elements that are called the support node:

The support node is far from always static - sometimes it has to be made movable if some structural element is subject to non-permanent loads. It is like a wheel on a car that compresses, spins, compresses and turns.

Something similar is also implemented in the support nodes, only the degree of freedom itself can be different for them - from zero, when the node itself is already motionless, to triple, i.e. maximum:

Reference node with zero degree of freedom. Both ends in this case are rigidly fastened with corners on both sides. A rafter on a beam or Mauerlat with such a knot cannot move at all.
Hinge assembly with one degree of freedom. In this case, the beam has the ability to rotate in a circle.
Joint with two degrees of freedom. Now, in addition to circular rotation, there is also the possibility of displacement. This provides a special fastening of the rafters to the mauerlat or beams, and you only need to install sliders or sleds.
Articulated joint with three degrees of freedom allows the beam to move both horizontally and vertically. True, circular rotation here may or may not be.

Comparing fasteners

These metal corners are used for attaching rafters to Mauerlat, beams and walls:

Types of metal plates

Note that in total there are two types of such plates: nailed and perforated.

The perforated ones have many holes for bolts and self-tapping screws, and it is with the help of them that such plates are attached to the wood. The advantage of perforated plates is that they are able to connect the necessary elements of the truss system at almost any angle. Moreover, such plates are easily cut to the desired size. Install perforated plates on both sides of the connections.

Nail plates do not have nails themselves. This fastener is used only in the factory, or with a special press. The fact is that you cannot hammer such a plate into the rafters with a hammer - you need competent uniform pressure.

Additional elements

Sometimes, in addition to the same metal corners and nails, support bars are additionally used:

And also like this:

If you use flat or shaped steel fasteners in nodal connections, then:

The thickness of wooden elements should not be less than 5 cm. All because of self-tapping screws.
Secondly, simple nails can no longer be used here - only screw or nailed ones, which just won’t come out like that. Especially if the wood for the rafters has a moisture content of more than 18%, i.e. not completely dried, and after drying this material, the nodal connections are always weakened.
Thirdly, take nails with a diameter of at least 4 mm and a length of at least 40 mm.
Always use two steel angles per node if possible. Just arrange them symmetrically.

Fastening rafters to floor beams

Floor beams sometimes act as a kind of alternative to tightening. Most often this happens during the construction of light attics - it's more convenient. But you can fix the rafters directly with the floor beams only if you are sure of the reliability of the walls of the house. Because in this case, there is no Mauerlat, and, as a result, the load on the walls is not distributed evenly - now it is point. And that's worse, of course.

By the way, it is not at all necessary to take thick beams for floors, a section of 5x15 cm is enough. Your main task is to make such a fastening so that the rafters in no case begin to slide along the beam.

By the way, there is a big difference in how to attach the same rafters to the floor beams of single-pitched and gable roofs. So, the greater the load experienced by the roof, the more this fastening should be done with a double tooth, and for single-pitched ones, one is enough. By the way, a double tooth usually has two spikes.

The most durable fastening is obtained if you make a cut, and with an additional spike, which will also prevent lateral shifts of the rafters due to loads. On the other hand, it is important not to weaken the beam itself at the same time. Therefore, the cutout for the rafters should be made no closer than 25 cm from the edge (this will also help to avoid falcons), and only 1/3-1/4 of the thickness of the beam itself:

In order for the rafter leg not to slip off the Mauerlat, a special notch is made in it. And in the Mauerlat itself, they sometimes make another, reciprocal - it’s only more reliable, and the stubborn lock turns out to be strong.

True, the Mauerlat itself will significantly weaken from this - consider this. You can do this with him only when the Mauerlat is made of hard hardwood and has good strength.

The rafter legs alone will not hold the grooves, and therefore be sure to additionally use metal fasteners. If your connection is fixed, it will be enough to drive in nails at an angle, and for more unreliable designs, use clamp connections and metal linings. Forged wire, which is mounted into the wall for these purposes, will also help.

Another type of fastening of the rafter legs to the beams is bolted:

Step 1. At the end of the beam, which protrudes, we make a triangular cutout. The hypotenuse of the cut should be at the same angle as the angle of the rafters.
Step 2. At the same angle, we also file the lower part of the rafter leg.
Step 3. We put the rafter on the beam with a cut and fix it with nails.
Step 4. Perpendicular to the rafter leg, we drill a hole for the bolt - through, so that it can be let in through the bolt from below through the cutout in the beam.
Step 5 We put a washer on the bolt and tightly fix the entire assembly with a nut.

At the end of the fastening, be sure to check the strength of all connections.

Fastening rafters to the wall

But not all roof structures use Mauerlat. Then how to fix the rafters to the wall itself? It's simple: we find a replacement for the Mauerlat and work with it already.

For example, in frame construction, frame beams act as a Mauerlat, on which sheathing is made:

If, for some reason, you have to fasten the rafters directly to the wall, without a Mauerlat, then you definitely need to make a puff - a board or beam that will connect the rafters into one and take on some of the stress.

Such a fastening is not always possible at all. For example, foam and gas blocks are bad not only because they easily transfer their moisture to wooden strpoils. They don't hold fasteners at all. The same nail hammered into a block by 10 cm, you can easily pull it out with your hands - then how to fix the rafters? Plus, considerable pressure from the roof truss system on such fragile walls. And therefore, here you can’t do without a Mauerlat.

We fasten the rafters to the Mauerlat

In any roof truss structure, the rafters are placed with their lower end on the Mauerlat, and the upper ends are connected in the roof ridge. Mauerlat is a special bar that is laid along the perimeter of the outer walls. It is designed to support load-bearing rafters.

And now let's figure out when the rafters rest on the Mauerlat, and when - only on the walls:

If the walls are made of concrete, brick or foam block (in principle, any materials that are capable of transmitting moisture), then rafter legs cannot be supported on them. Otherwise, the entire roof will quickly rot. And therefore we use a beam, which is called Mauerlat, and we separate it from the wall itself with any rolled waterproofing.
In log and cobbled houses, a Mauerlat is no longer needed for rafters - it is enough to make cuts in the upper beam and use additional fastening in the form of metal corners and brackets.

And depending on whether there will be shrinkage at home, they make a rigid and sliding fastening of the rafters to the Mauerlat.

Method #1 - hard mount

To provide a node with a rigid, immovable attachment, you have two options. The first is to use special corners with hemmed bars and special cuts on the rafter leg. The rafter here is fixed with corners on both sides, and therefore can no longer move:

In the second method, which is more common, you need to drive nails at an angle to each other. In the Mauerlat, they intersect, and you already hammer the third nail vertically:

Two nails on the sides keep the rafter leg from shifting left and right, and the top nail is already pulling the rafter to the Mauerlat itself.

Or use long screws instead of nails:

Method #2 - Mounting with one degree of freedom

But in this design, a certain movement of the rafters under the pressure of the entire roof is already allowed:

But we note right away that if we are talking about the ability to move horizontally, we are not talking about the fact that the rafter will literally “ride” along the beam. This is just a small opportunity to move millimeters due to dynamic load and temperature and humidity changes. Moreover, the slider will move only at the maximum permissible loads, and you will not be able to see such changes with an ordinary eye.

The possibility of some movement remains when the knot is fastened with nails - if there are not many of them. But those hammered in a checkerboard pattern with a certain force will no longer allow the rafters to move.

Finally, to insure the rigid attachment of the rafters to the Mauerlat, additionally use wire or anchors. Just think about this beforehand:

Or here's another great example:

Method # 3 - sliding mount

A sliding mount is one that has two degrees of freedom. That is, in simple terms, one of the two elements has the possibility of displacement:

And this has its own meaning. So, those rafters that abut against the Mauerlat with a notch, and from above - against each other, evenly transfer the load from the roof and snow on it to the walls. But those rafters that are already supported by horizontal cuts on the Mauerlat and on the ridge run are called a non-thrust structure.

As we have already said, a sliding mount, even with three degrees of freedom, does not really mean at all that the rafter will move loosely back and forth along the support. All this is only for invisible physical laws.

It is usually used only for serious dynamic loads on the roof.

Method # 5 - splicing with fillies

For the device of roof overhangs, you also need to make fillies from boards, 50x100 mm in cross section and such a length that it is equal to the overhang plus another 0.5 m - for the junction with the rafters.

Further, everything is simple: nail the fillies to the rafter legs and extend them beyond the roof. Are you wondering why this rafter element is called that? Just before they were cut out in the shape of a horse - for beauty. Yes, and often today too.

Competent installation and decoration of ceiling beams, installation features of products from different materials, methods of finishing old beams.

The content of the article:

Finishing the ceiling surface with beams looks stylish and respectable. This is a great way to emphasize the originality of the design and transform the room. Laying wooden beams on the ceiling is carried out even in the process of building a house. However, such elements are heavy and expensive, therefore, for decoration, peculiar false beams from different materials are most often attached.

Styles for beams on the ceiling

If you decide to finish the ceiling in this way, then you need to correctly combine the installed beam with other decorative elements. Moreover, if you have certain design skills, this detail can be beaten in almost any style.

Let's look at what style solutions can be used to decorate beams:

Classical. Beams made of wood or wood imitation material, combined with matching furniture or parquet, are undeniably classics. Contrasting dark wood on a pastel light background looks original. But carving and painting will add respectability to the traditional interior.
Victorian. The rooms, decorated in this style, look aristocratic and luxurious. Therefore, the beams must be installed from expensive mahogany with antique finishes.
Modern. Beams in rooms with this design can be painted in bright colors, installed inside the backlight and embody various stylistic ideas.
Hi-tech and loft. Finishing the ceiling in such rooms with polyurethane beams with a texture that imitates metal will be very useful. Especially if the walls in the room are in the form of brickwork.
Provence. Perfectly smooth, white painted beams on the ceiling will be a great addition to the French, rural style.
Rustic. A rough wood finish that emphasizes the natural structure of the material is the best option.

Do-it-yourself technology for mounting beams on the ceiling

The equipment for simulating beams on the ceiling consists of several stages. In order to carry out installation work quickly and efficiently, you need to decide on the type of model, correctly draw up a diagram taking into account the characteristics of the room and securely fasten it so that the structure is smooth and durable.

Rules for drawing beams on the ceiling

The location of the beams on the ceiling can visually expand the space or make the room lower. Therefore, the scheme of their installation primarily depends on the effect that you want to achieve.

If the beams are arranged along the length of the room, then it can be visually extended even more. Accordingly, to expand the space, the ceiling elements are placed across.
The cross-shaped fastening of the beams visually makes the space more voluminous.
You can visually reduce the height of the room by fixing the beams below the ceiling.
One beam with installed lamps or other decorative details is able to divide the room into zones.
Placing several beams in one part of the room will visually highlight it. In this case, the elements do not have to be fixed in parallel or crosswise. The Christmas tree arrangement looks interesting.
You can visually increase the height of the room by fixing the structures on the wall and making a continuation on the ceiling. At the same time, not the entire beam, but only part of it, needs to be fixed on the ceiling.

The correct location of the ceiling elements will allow you to change the geometry of almost any room. Before drawing up a drawing, it is imperative to measure all the walls. In the project, also include a communications supply scheme.

Selection of materials for mounting beams on the ceiling

A variety of building and finishing materials allows you to use for the installation of beams:

wood. It is environmentally friendly and looks respectable. Most often, preference is given to conifers (pine, larch, spruce, cedar). They are more practical and durable. Hardwoods (for example, oak) are used less often because of the high cost.
Drywall. Practical, relatively inexpensive, easy to handle. It can be finished in almost any way.
Polyurethane. Modern material with high performance. It is available in a wide range of colors and textures, is lightweight and moisture resistant.

Whatever material you choose for mounting the beam on the ceiling with your own hands, consider how harmoniously the products will fit into the overall design.

Beams made of artificial materials also differ in the types of profiles:

From chipboard or MDF. Veneer elements in parts with straight joints in this case are connected at angles of 90 or 45 degrees. Beams with rounded edges are made of veneered MDF or chipboard and are connected with a profiled rail at the inner joint. Such models can be patinated and painted.
From durable wood lamellas. For manufacturing use oak, ash, pine, larch. May have straight or rounded edges. Treated like a normal tree.
From array. In production, an ordinary timber beam is used. The beam can be suspended and bearing. Facing is carried out in the same way as from ordinary wood. These models are much more expensive.

When choosing the material of manufacture, it is important to take into account the specifics of the room in which the installation is planned. For installation in conditions of high humidity, for example, polyurethane products are optimally suited.

Preparing to Install Ceiling Beams

Before proceeding with the installation of beams on the ceiling, the coating should be prepared. This is a stage consisting of the following processes:

We take out all the furniture from the room, remove lighting fixtures, mirrors, curtains, carpets, cornices.
We clean the surface of the old finishing layer.
We get rid of unreliably fixed elements.
If necessary, remove the old wiring.
We treat stains of mold, fungus or rust with a special primer. You need to get rid of them, otherwise they will later appear on the new finish.
We close up large cracks and crevices with cement-based putty.
We prime the coating with an antiseptic composition.
We level the surface with plaster (for irregularities from 5 cm) or starting putty (for irregularities up to 5 cm).
We prime the ceiling and paste over with fiberglass for reinforcement.
We apply a layer of finishing putty and wait for drying.
We grind the roughness with fine-grained paper and impregnate with a primer based on acrylates.

Features of fastening wooden beams to the ceiling

Ceiling elements made of natural wood are heavy, and therefore special attention must be paid to the reliability of fixation. The beams themselves can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands from a bar. In the latter case, it is worth choosing a tree with a shrinkage of up to 12%, on which there are no damages and traces of rot. It is also important to treat the material with antiseptic compounds to protect against moisture, mold, rodents and insects.

We perform the installation as follows:

We adjust the ends of the elements with a planer and grind with fine-grained paper for the most snug fit.
We fix the bars to the side panels using self-tapping screws.
To fix the lower element with a drill, we drill holes in the bars in increments of 15-20 cm. They should be located at an angle of 90 degrees to the self-tapping screws connecting the bar and the sidewall. The distance from each hole to the self-tapping screw should be about 5 cm.
For reliability at the junction, we coat the wood with carpentry glue.
We connect all the details with self-tapping screws, forming a U-shaped false beam.
On the ceiling we fix the bars in increments of 0.5 meters. The width of the bar must correspond to the internal size of the emptiness of the box.
We attach the beam to the bars with the help of self-tapping screws, deepening the caps of the fasteners inward.
We cover the places of the recesses with putty to match the color of the wood.
We carry out the finishing of the ceiling element.

Please note that in order not to damage the ceiling finish, when painting the beam, you can paste over the joints with the ceiling covering with masking tape.

How to install plasterboard beams on the ceiling

The correct installation of the plasterboard structure on the ceiling, first of all, depends on the accuracy of the markup. That is why, using a level, a tape measure and a chopping cord, it is first recommended to apply the profile attachment lines and only then proceed to work.

Before you make a beam on the ceiling of the plasterboard, we recommend that you read the installation instructions:

We attach the guide profile with dowels along the marked lines.
We make segments from the carrier profile, which will be equal to the height of the beam.
We insert the cut blanks into the starting profile and fasten them with self-tapping screws in increments of 10-15 cm.
Along the bottom edge we connect all the segments with a guide profile.
With a jigsaw or a sharp knife for drywall, we cut out the details from the sheets according to the size of the beam.
We attach drywall to the profile with self-tapping screws.
We glue the joints with sickle tape. We putty gaps and places of deepening fasteners.
We apply a finishing layer of putty and, after complete drying, rub the roughness with fine-grained sanding paper.
We prime the surface and finish the beam.

For installation of such a design, it is better to use a 9 mm thick plasterboard.

Fixing polyurethane beams to the ceiling

The main advantage of installing polyurethane beams on the ceiling is the simplicity and speed of installation work. The design is lightweight, therefore, to fasten a polyurethane beam of standard length (3 meters), you will need only three wedges.

In the process, we adhere to the following action plan:

We mark the fastening of the beam.
We drill a hole in the wedge bar, with a diameter of 2 mm less than that used to fix the screw.
We fasten the blanks to the ceiling in increments of up to one meter. If a joint of elements is planned, then a wedge must also be fixed on it.
We process the surfaces of the wedges with special glue and attach the beam.
For additional reliability, we fix the structure with self-tapping screws.

If you want to hide communications inside the beam, then cutouts can be made in the bars through which wires are laid in the corrugated pipe.

Ways to decorate old beams on the ceiling

Installing false beams does not take much time and does not require special skills. Anyone can handle installation work. But what if there are already old beams on the ceiling? They can be aesthetically pleasing.

To do this, you need to use the following methods: painting (if necessary, preliminary putty and primer), installation on the old structure of a polyurethane false beam, decoration with marine-style ropes, pasting with mirror tiles. If there is a beam in the kitchen, then a special suspension (railing) can be attached to it and used to store dishes, bags of herbs and kitchen utensils. Using the same methods, you can beat a concrete beam on the ceiling.

As for the ways to completely mask the ceiling elements, the most common are:

Stretch fabric. In order not to lose the height of the ceiling, you can make a two-level structure.
Plasterboard ceiling. Sheets and frame should be attached to the ceiling, and not to the beam.
Caisson structure. The most elegant and expensive option.
clapboard. The easiest way. Instead of lining, you can even use an ordinary edged board.

Please note that you can completely mask the beam only in high rooms, otherwise by hiding 15-20 cm of the height of the room, you can absolutely ruin the interior.

How to decorate beams on the ceiling - look at the video:

In the material, we examined the main ways of installing false beams on the ceiling from different materials. Acting according to the instructions and taking into account the recommendations, you will be able to carry out the installation work yourself. And the tips provided on how to beat a beam on the ceiling will help you transform the room and make this element not only decorative, but also functional.