Business Logistics

Building Buy-in

Last June, Truss Components of Washington started doing something unconventional: holding regular meetings of production, design and office employees. General Manager Chad Johnson and Production Manager William Blankenship reflected on their six-month-old experiment, sharing why and how they brought these groups together and what the meetings have accomplished.

Seeing the Big Picture in Small Spaces

Just as there’s no one-size-fits-all housing solution, there’s no one-size-fits-all business model for CMs. For the sky-high prices and seasonal swings in the Greater Yellowstone area, tiny houses are uniquely suited to the needs of both buyers and builders.
Teton Truss Tiny Houses

Making a Case for Continuous Change

It takes good communication to keep an ongoing upgrade process on track.
Chris Cozart, director of manufacturing systems for Builders FirstSource in Denver, Colorado, believes everyone’s input is needed to build employee buy-in throughout the company and to successfully implement change. 

The Right Tools in the Toolbox

Sometimes it’s hard to start a conversation. You know what you want to say, you think you know how the person you’re talking to will react, and yet finding the words to get the ball rolling and respond to the questions you know you’ll get is tough.

The Need To Use Both Floor And Roof Trusses

Question: 

While building a new 2-story home, I found the need to use floor trusses between the 1st and 2nd floors. Is it true that I must also use roof trusses?

Installation Guidelines

Question: 

What are the requirements on the permanent bracing of bottom chords? Can gypsum board diaphragms be used?

Responsibility Of Snow Drift Load Calculations

Question: 

Is the truss designer or the building designer responsible for calculating snow drift loads on a roof system?

Definition Of P E

Question: 

What does “P.E.” stand for in building construction?

Allowable Variances In Trusses

Question: 

My framers are always complaining that the “trusses are bad.” I am looking for tolerance information that not only addresses the allowable variance in length and height, but also allowable variation in the top chord with regard to straightness (i.e. how straight should a pull string line from the top and bottom of top chord be?). Also, if trusses are set on a perfectly level wall, what variation is allowed from truss to truss (i.e. if I put a 10 ft. straight edge perpendicular to the trusses, how much can they vary in height, not just at peak or bottom but all along the top chord)?

Storage Loading

Question: 

How much weight can a wood truss hold, when it’s made with 2x4 material and spans 36 ft. with a 4/12 pitch. I would like to hang things from the ceiling and am wondering if it is safe. I live in an area where there are heavy snowstorms. Also, how much exposure to the weather can a truss handle before there is a problem?