For buildings of a large area, a gable roof does not provide the required protection and reliability. This design relies only on 2 external load-bearing walls, so the load on the rafters is excessively large. For a large house, it is better to choose a pitched roof, which effectively withstands atmospheric loads and distributes pressure more evenly on the external load-bearing walls and foundation.

pitched roof configurations

The geometric design of such a roof combines 4 inclined planes, the bases of which are the load-bearing walls of the house along the perimeter. There are several configurations that determine the shape and relative position of inclined surfaces.

hip roof

A simple design, outwardly somewhat reminiscent of a gable: parallel to the long walls, 2 planes are formed, which are connected in the center by a ridge ceiling. Opposite pediments are replaced with sloping triangles-hips. The design is used for large buildings, the two sides of which are much longer than the others.

Half hip roof

Differs in a configuration of end slopes. The bases of the triangles rise above the bottom edge of the structure. The remaining space is filled by the pediment. The corners at the base of large slopes are cut vertically. This allows you to make a spacious attic under the roof and install a double-glazed window.

Suitable for square houses or buildings in which all walls are approximately equal. Four slopes are triangles connected by vertices at a common central point. There is no horizontal ridge in such structures.

These configurations are the basis for the construction of all hipped roofs, including the combination of various elements into complex structures.

Many country arbors have the shape of a regular polygon, often a hipped roof is erected to them. Why a hipped roof is used for a small structure is explained by the practicality and aesthetic completeness of such a design. It is impractical to build a roof with two inclined surfaces for a country gazebo: the absence of closed gables will leave part of the structure unprotected from precipitation, for example, during oblique rain. The four-pitched roof wins in this.

Types of truss systems

There are hanging and layered structures. The first type is distinguished by the fact that the rafters lean against each other. This variety is used for buildings that do not have central load-bearing walls. The load is bursting. To increase strength, ties are made between opposite rafters, racks, struts and other devices are used.

Layered design of four pitched roof includes additional supports for rafters. They are reinforced under the ridge run and transfer part of the load to the load-bearing walls inside the building.

System differences: 1) Hanging 2) Layered

Description of the roof structure

The construction of a hip roof requires professional knowledge and experience from the master. Drawings of the truss system hipped roof This type includes the following elements:

  1. Mauerlat - the base of the frame, laid on load-bearing walls. Since all sides of the house are supporting, the element is attached around the perimeter of the building. Since hipped roofs are built on large objects, the Mauerlat must be of high strength. Usually use a bar 150x150 or 100x100. Mauerlat is not required if the structure is made of wood. In this case, the upper wall trim serves as the base.
  2. The ridge run is installed horizontally on the line of intersection of trapezoidal slopes and serves as a connecting element.
  3. From each end of the run, 3 supports, called the central rafters, depart. They are erected regardless of the pitch of the remaining elements.
  4. Diagonal (corner) rafters connect the ridge beam to the corners of the building. These are the longest supports with the greatest slope.
  5. Parallel to the directions of the slopes, short rafters are erected on the hips, fastening the corner supports (sides of the triangles) with the Mauerlat.
  6. The lateral edges of the trapezoid with the base are connected by sprigs, and two parallel sides are connected by intermediate supports.
  7. Sprengel is used to increase strength. It is a bar located closer to the corner of the building, the ends of which are installed on adjacent walls.
  8. When installing struts and racks, a truss truss is formed - an additional structural unit.
  9. Puffs are used in a hanging truss system. They are mounted on two opposite supports.
  10. In the layered structure there is a bed, which is laid on a load-bearing wall in the center of the building and takes on part of the load.

semi feature hip roof in that the lower edge of each triangular slope rises to the height of the pediment, thereby shortening the diagonal rafters. The four-pitched hipped roof is simpler. The frame design includes similar components of the hips and the internal ligament. All reinforcement elements are designed for one purpose - to pull the frame into knots and make it rigid.

System features and calculation

The roof with four slopes is able to withstand high wind and snow loads. In order for the roof to be practical, reliable and perfectly perform the functions assigned to it, an accurate calculation of all elements is carried out. The slope of the slopes of the hip roof does not exceed 40 °. erection tent system provides an angle from 40 to 60 °.

The calculation of the supporting structure is based on the mutual dependence of the span length, rafter pitch and beam cross section. The second parameter is selected individually based on the available material and ease of attachment. In the longest structures, the rafter pitch is 2.15 m, and in most cases 90 cm is chosen.

The distance determines the cross section of the supports. The farther apart the rafters are placed, the thicker the board will be required. The size of the section also depends on the length of the supports themselves. Communication is directly proportional. In order for the rafters to withstand the bending force, a material of a larger section is chosen. For 6-meter supports with a step of 90, the cross-sectional area is 75 × 200 mm, and for 3-meter supports it is only 50 × 150.

Carrying out construction activities

The material for the frame must be well dried. Wood moisture content is limited to 20%. Work order:


A professional approach to assembling a solid frame determines the performance of a hipped roof. Resilience to weather conditions and the service life of the structure as a whole depend on the reliability of the structure.

Roofs with four slopes have more high reliability and load resistance. This design is much more complicated than the usual gable, and installation takes more time. And yet, a do-it-yourself hipped roof is a completely doable task, if you properly prepare and study in detail the intricacies of its device.

The four-pitched roof has many variations. The most simple design represents 2 slopes of a trapezoidal shape, connected in the center of the roof, and 2 triangular slopes from the side of the gables. Sometimes all four slopes are made triangular, then the roof edges converge at a central point. More complex designs involve broken lines, a combination of short slopes with gables, built-in straight and sloping windows, as well as multi-level slopes.

It is impossible to build a truss system of this configuration without the appropriate experience, so it is better to pay attention to the standard hip roof.

The slope of the slopes can have an angle of 5 to 60 degrees. To calculate optimal value slope, the following factors must be taken into account:


Gentle slopes are not suitable for arranging an attic, because they take too much free space. Therefore, if the attic is planned in the project of the house, the angle of inclination of the roof should be 45 degrees or more. You can choose the angle of inclination depending on the type of roofing using the table.

Atmospheric loads also have great importance. Where a lot of snow falls, you can not make a slope of less than 30 degrees, otherwise the rafter system will not withstand the loads. If the slope angle is more than 60 degrees, the snow load can be ignored. In addition to these factors, you should consider the location of objects such as water tanks or ventilation chambers. Usually they are suspended from the rafters and put an additional load on them. After preliminary calculations, you can begin to draw up a drawing of the truss system.

Roofing materials

Like a gable, hip roof, it consists of a Mauerlat, puffs, rafters, support posts, a ridge beam and a crate. The difference between the second design is the location of the rafters and their length. For a pitched roof, it is recommended to use pine or larch lumber, of good quality, without defects, with a maximum moisture content of 22%.

Rafters are made of boards with a section of 50x100 mm; if the roof area is very large, it is better to take boards 50x200 mm. For Mauerlat, you need a solid beam with a section of at least 150x150 mm. Additionally, you will need metal threaded studs for attaching the Mauerlat, boards for crates and overhead metal plates, with which the wooden elements are connected.

Lumber before assembling the roof must be impregnated with an antiseptic.

In the process, you will need tools:

  • hacksaw;
  • building level;
  • plumb and tape measure;
  • hammer;
  • drill;
  • screwdriver;
  • chisel;
  • Circular Saw.

Rafter system installation technology

Step 1. Laying the Mauerlat

In houses made of timber, the functions of the mauerlat are performed by the last crown of the log house, in which special grooves are cut out for the rafters. In brick houses, the Mauerlat is laid on the walls around the perimeter of the box, having previously secured metal threaded studs between the bricks of the last rows. To more accurately mark the holes for the fasteners, the beam is lifted and laid on top of the tips of the studs, and then hit with a hammer. After that, clear marks remain on the tree, along which holes are drilled.

Having removed the beam for drilling, the surface of the walls is covered with one or two layers of waterproofing material, usually roofing material. It is placed directly on the studs and pressed down. Next, the Mauerlat is laid, aligning the holes with the studs, align them horizontally and screw the nuts tightly onto the threads. At the corners, the bars are connected with metal plates or brackets. After fixing, the timber should not move even a millimeter, because the reliability of the entire rafter system depends on this.

Step 2 Mounting the Racks

If the house does not have a central bearing wall, it is necessary to lay the support beam perpendicularly load-bearing beams overlap. Connect two boards with a section of 50x200 mm, leaving a gap of 50 mm between them. To do this, short bars 50 mm thick are inserted between the boards and nailed. The distance between the bars is about 1.5 m, the beams are not fastened at the ends. Having measured the middle of the attic, the support beam is laid so that its ends extend beyond the boundaries of the Mauerlat by 10-15 cm.

Now they take 3 boards 50x150 mm, cut them to the height of the roof, and use a plumb line to install them on the support beam. Each post should rest against the beam where the boards are connected by a bar. Racks are temporarily strengthened with jibs from the bars. The top of the racks is connected with a ridge beam, which is used as a board 50x200 mm.

Step 3. Fastening the central rafters

They take a rafter board and apply it with one end to the ridge beam, and with the other end to the Mauerlat from the front side of the building. Immediately adjust the length of the cornice overhang, cut off the excess. The cut lines are marked with a pencil, after which they cut off the upper end of the board and make a groove in the Mauerlat by 1/3 of the rafter width. The board is nailed to the ridge, the lower edge is inserted into the groove on the Mauerlat and secured with metal plates.

In the same way, the rest of the rafters are made and installed in 60 cm increments from the facade of the house. The edge boards should be perpendicular to the ridge beam and fastened at its ends. On the opposite side of the building, everyone does the same. On the hips there is only one rafter on each side: the board is placed on the edge and fastened with the upper end to the ridge beam, and the lower end is inserted between the boards of the support beam and fixed with nails.

Step 4. Attaching the corner rafters

For the manufacture of corner rafters, two boards with a section of 50x150 mm are usually connected. In one of the upper corners of the box, at the junction of the Mauerlat beams, a nail is driven in and a thin cord is tied on it. At the junction point of the ridge and the central rafter, a nail is also driven in from the side of the hip, a cord is pulled to it and fixed. So designate a line of diagonal, or angular, rafters. Their length must be the same, otherwise the roof will be uneven. The prepared rafter is lifted up, placed along the markings and connected to the ridge beam and Mauerlat. The overhang of the rafter is approximately 50-70 cm.

Step 5 Installing the Jigs

To fix the diagonal rafters, sprigs are used - shortened rafters, resting on the Mauerlat with their lower end and located at right angles to the ridge beam. They are fastened in increments of 60 cm, starting from the outermost ordinary rafter. As you approach the diagonal, the jocks make everything shorter. Now it is necessary to strengthen the structure with puffs and braces, as well as install additional vertical supports.

If the span under the diagonal rafter is more than 7 m, it is required to install another support at a distance of a quarter of the span from the corner of the attic. The lower end of the rack should rest on the floor beam. In the case when the beam is further than the designated place or is completely absent, instead of a vertical stand, a sprengel is attached - a horizontal jumper made of timber, the ends of which are nailed to the spears.

Step 5. Mounting the crate

When all the supports are installed, you can fill the crate. For a four-pitched roof, the crate is performed in the same way as for a gable roof. First, a waterproofing membrane is attached, on each slope separately. The joints are carefully glued with adhesive tape, and then thin slats are stuffed over the membrane to provide an air gap. Boards are stuffed in increments of up to 40 cm, depending on the type of roof, and always perpendicular to the rafters.

On this, the assembly of the truss system is considered complete. It remains only to insulate the structure, lay the roofing, mount the windshields and sheathe the overhangs. To make the hipped roof look more stylish, it is recommended to install sloping or straight windows on the slopes.

Video - Do-it-yourself four-pitched roof

The technology of the device and the design of the roof of houses are formed mainly depending on climatic conditions each individual region. The truss roof system, which is difficult to manufacture, is not suitable for northern latitudes, but is widespread in the European part of the world. Due to its merits, it has become widely used in our country.

In this article, we will look at a hipped roof, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as some installation features.

Already from the name it becomes clear that a hipped roof has four planes - slopes, this is its main difference from the classic gable roof.


An important feature of a four-pitched roof is that gables are not provided for in the design of such a roof, and this makes it much easier to install and makes it possible to significantly save materials.

1. Advantages of a hipped roof:

  1. In regions with high wind load, such a roof design provides little wind resistance and reduces the load on the entire truss system as a whole.
  2. A four-pitched roof is stronger than a two-pitched one and is less subject to deformation.
  3. This design makes it possible to make overhangs and cornices of considerable dimensions, which well protects the walls from precipitation.

2. Disadvantages of a four-pitched truss system:

  1. Price. Such a rafter system is more expensive than a gable one. But if we take into account the arrangement of brick gables for a gable structure, then the difference will not be so big.
  2. Reduced attic space. With an equal area, like the whole building, two additional slopes will reduce the habitable volume of the attic space. On the other hand, with a residential attic, it must be heated, and with a smaller attic space, heating costs will decrease slightly.
  3. Tilt-mounted window systems. They will be regularly exposed to snow, rain and other adverse events and the possibility of leaks and loss of sealing is much higher than that of vertically installed window systems.

3. Types of truss structures of hipped roofs:

3.1 Classic hip

It is made of two slopes in the form of triangles and two of a trapezoidal type, the rafters are made without fractures, they start from the ridge, the overhangs come out the same in height.

Scheme of the rafters of a four-pitched hip roof

3.2 Tent

Visually it looks simpler, but do-it-yourself installation is much more difficult than a classic roof. Comprises roof structure where rafters of equal length are installed, connecting in one place.

Diagram of the rafters of a hipped roof

3.3 Other types

There are also such types of hipped roofs as - semi-hip, hip-pediment, multi-forceps, tambourines and others.

For comparison, the main types of hipped roofs can be seen in the figure below:

Types of hipped roofs; a - hip; b - tent; in - half-hip; g - hip-pediment: 1 - skate; 2 - hip; 3 - triangular slopes; 4 - pediment; 5 - slope; 6 - groove (valley); 7 - support board

4. Features of the installation of a hipped roof

During the construction of a hipped roof, the main technical document is the design drawings. Roofing schemes can be easily found on the Internet, but if you want to be 100% sure that your roof is reliable, then you need to contact the designers. The design firm will perform a calculation based on the specifics of climatic conditions, wind and snow load, building dimensions and other important parameters, such a calculation will be strictly individual, and therefore accurate and reliable.

The frame of a hipped roof is not made of truss elements alone - a Mauerlat is located on the main load-bearing walls. This structural detail must be mounted strictly in a horizontal position in order to ensure the exact geometry of the entire building. Ceiling beams are mounted on the support beam, in the manufacture of a wooden frame, the rafters are strengthened on top of the crown.

5. The device of the roof truss system of a four-pitched roof:

  • To support the diagonal rafters, they are fixed with shortened rafters (spiders).
  • With a large roof area, truss trusses are used so that the loads are transferred to them from the roof rafters. They are supported by additionally made puffs also located longitudinally and transversely wooden beams.
  • Next, the installation of crossbars, struts, racks is carried out and a tightening system is installed, these parts relieve the rafters from part of the load, due to which the structure acquires additional rigidity.
  • From above, the diagonal parts are fixed on a ridge run, which, in turn, abuts against the longitudinal beam of the attic floor. The height of the ridge is determined according to the design documentation.
  • For reliable fastening of the Mauerlat with rafter legs, you need to make notches, tie-ins with your own hands, supplementing them with iron fasteners. The joints of the rafter legs and the support beam must be done carefully and reliably, the strength of the entire structure depends on them.
  • The horizontal rafters in the upper part are connected by horizontal crossbars, which can be made from a board 40 mm thick and 120 mm wide. They are located at a distance of 100 cm from the top of the ridge. Thanks to crossbars, hip slopes have good resistance to loads from strong winds.
  • The roof overhang protrudes from the walls of the building at a distance depending on the length of the used slanting rafters; if necessary, they can be extended by fastening two boards.
  • After mounting the diagonal truss elements, it is required to install ordinary ones in increments of about 600 mm.

Name of the main elements of the truss system of a four-pitched hip roof

After the system of the truss structure is fully equipped, it is necessary to make a crate, properly lay the hydro and vapor barrier and treat the wooden elements with antiseptic preparations.

If it is not foreseen to equip the attic space for living quarters, then this type of roof is the most reliable and economical option for arranging a roof in a private house.

Hip roofs are gaining more and more popularity among owners of private houses. This is not surprising, since such a scheme is distinguished by a number of undeniable advantages of an operational property, and besides, it looks very original, giving the house a special aesthetic.

Some homeowners leading independent construction, perhaps frightening that the hip roof truss system looks too complicated. Yes, it is certainly not as simple as a conventional gable gable roof. Nevertheless, this rafter system is also completely subject to the laws of geometry, and it is quite possible to make its preliminary calculation. Installation, of course, will require some experience in carpentry, nose good helpers, and even better - with a qualified consultant, you can take on this large-scale event.

What are the advantages of a hip roof?

Specify the requested values ​​and click the "Calculate ridge height h" button

Half house width d (meters)

Planned roof slope angle α (degrees)

Length of ridge run

Since it is assumed that the slope angle on the side and hip slopes will be the same, then the length of the central rafters should also match. And this, in turn, means that the edges of the ridge run should be located from the end walls of the house at the same distance as the run itself from the walls parallel to it.


1 - Mauerlat

2 - ridge run.

3 - central side rafters

4 - the central hip rafter, equal in length to the central side rafters.

This means that the length of the ridge beam is equal to the length of the house minus 2 d, and to simplify, then the length of the house minus its width D. It should be located strictly in the center, along both, longitudinal and transverse, axes.

For the manufacture of the ridge run, the same material is usually used as for the central rafter legs. Vertical racks for its installation are cut out taking into account the width of the beam, so that when assembled, the upper edge of the ridge is located at the calculated height h.


It is desirable to reinforce the ridge frame resting on the bed with diagonal braces, as shown in the figure.

The length of the central rafter legs

If the installation height of the ridge run and its distance from the Mauerlat (in horizontal projection) are known, it is quite possible to immediately calculate the length of the central rafters.


Here - everything is extremely simple. According to two known legs - height h and foundation d it’s easy, using the Pythagorean theorem, to find the hypotenuse, which will become the length of the rafter leg L from skate to Mauerlat. Use the built-in calculator for this:

Calculator for calculating the length of the hypotenuse (rafter leg) from known legs

Enter the requested values ​​and click the button "Calculate the length of the hypotenuse (rafter leg)"

Leg 1 (height h), meters

Leg 2 (base of triangle d), meters

It is clear that the intermediate rafters, also based on the ridge run, will have exactly the same dimensions.


To connect the rafters on the ridge run, they can be cut at an angle β, which is equal to:

Β = 90° —α


The connection method, however, can be different, for example, overlapping the rafter legs with the placement of the ridge run from below - this is taken into account when both the rafters themselves and the height of the racks for the ridge run. It is assumed that the highest point of the ridge in this case is formed by the upper intersection of the rafter boards.


With their lower edge, the rafter legs rest on the Mauerlat. Variants are also possible here, but we will not consider them in this publication, because this is well stated in other articles.

Mauerlat - a reliable basis for the truss system

If on a shed or gable roof, the Mauerlat can only be attached from the side of the roof slopes, then with a hip system it necessarily represents a closed frame. - in a separate publication of our portal. And one more article is devoted to the basic rules.

You can immediately decide how much it is necessary to lengthen the rafters, if they will form the cornice overhang. In the case when the cornice is created at the expense of fillies, the resulting value will become “useful” from the length, that is, it will be useful in any case.


If the planned width of the cornice overhang is known k and roof pitch α , then the parameter Δ L It is easy to determine by the formula:

Δ L = k / cos α

Calculator for calculating the lengthening of rafters for an eaves overhang

Specify the requested data and click the button "Calculate the elongation of the rafter (working length of the filly)"

Planned width of the cornice overhang K, meters

The value of the slope slope α, degrees

Now, in order to find out the total length of the rafter leg, it remains only to sum the obtained values L And Δ L.

This elongation will be the same for all rafters and rafters, with the exception of diagonal rafters (sloping legs). For them, the calculator provides a special calculation.

Diagonal rafter length

These rafter legs are the longest and will experience the most stress.


Determining their length is not difficult. You can again use the Pythagorean theorem, that is, resort to using the calculator above. The diagonal rafter is a hypotenuse with a base equal to half the width of the building d, and with a height equal to the length of the central hip rafter L.


Lq = √ (L² + d²)

It is somewhat different, as we saw from the calculator presented above, and the amount of elongation of the rafters to form a cornice overhang.

Installation step of rafters and their cross section

The linear dimensions of the central, intermediate and diagonal rafter legs are known. Now you should decide on the cross section of the board () for their manufacture and the installation step. These values ​​are interrelated, and depend on the expected loads on the roof structure.


The total load, expressed in kilograms per square meter, is made up of several quantities. This is, first of all, the weight of the roof structure itself, taking into account roofing material, battens, insulation, etc. To this are added temporary loads - the pressure of the fallen snow and wind action. In addition, spontaneous loads are also likely, which are difficult to predict - hurricane winds, seismic tremors and other force majeure phenomena. On this account, a certain margin of safety is introduced into the roof structure.

The load falling onto the roof is distributed along the rafter legs. The more often they are mounted, that is, the smaller the step of their installation, the less falls on each running meter rafter leg, and the less lumber in the section can be. The second parameter that affects the cross section of the material is the span of the rafter leg, that is, the distance between two support points.

Below is a table that will help determine the required cross-section of the beam for rafter legs. How to use it?

screwdriver

The initial value is the value of the distributed load on rafter leg(with an intermediate value, the next one is taken upwards). In this column, a cell is found with the length of the span of the rafters. This cell predetermines the line in which, on the right side of the table, the required beam sections for the manufacture of rafter legs are indicated. Please note that if you wish, you can also use round timber - the table shows the values ​​\u200b\u200bof the required diameter.

The calculated value of the distributed load per 1 linear meter of the rafter leg, kg / mCross-section of lumber for the manufacture of rafter legs
75 100 125 150 175 from a board (beam) from round timber
board (beam) thickness, mmdiameter, mm
40 50 60 70 80 90 100
The planned length of the rafters between the support points, m board (beam) height, mm
4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 120
5 4.5 4 3.5 3 200 190 180 170 160 150 140 140
5.5 5 4.5 4 3.5 - 210 200 190 180 170 160 160
6 5.5 5 4.5 4 - - 220 210 200 190 180 180
6.5 6 5.5 5 4.5 - - - 230 220 210 200 200
- 6.5 6 5.5 5 - - - - 240 230 220 220

For example, with a distributed load on the rafter leg of 150 kg / m and a span of 5 meters, a beam of one of the sections will be required: 70 × 230; 80×220; 90×210 or 100×20, or a log with a diameter of 200 mm.

Now - how to calculate the distributed load on the rafters. For this, there is a special algorithm that takes into account the main factors influencing the truss system. In this publication, we will not give the entire cascade of formulas and coefficients, but we will suggest using a calculator in which these physical and mathematical relationships are already included.

Calculator for calculating the distributed load on the rafter legs

To calculate, you need several initial values:

  • The angle of the roof slope - we already know it.
  • The planned type of roofing - the constant weight load on the truss system depends on this.
  • The value of the snow load for this region is included in the calculator in accordance with the zone, which can be determined from the presented map:

  • Wind exposure level. It is also determined by the zone according to the map-scheme presented below:

  • The height of the building in the ridge.
  • The degree of openness of the construction site. The calculator shows the main features for determining the zone, but it should be borne in mind that the presence of these natural or artificial wind barriers can only be taken into account if they are no further than 30 × H, where H is the height of the building in a skate.

Finally, the step of installing the rafters. This value can be changed by selecting the optimal value of the distributed load. At the same time, it is customary to take into account that if the roof is to be insulated, it is recommended that the installation step of the rafters be coordinated with the dimensions of the blocks (mats) of thermal insulation material - this will make installation easier and less waste will remain.

After the value of the distributed load is obtained, you can go to the table above to select the material section for the central, intermediate and diagonal rafter legs.


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