Attic rooms within the roof trusses add additional square footage without increasing the overall size of the building ‘footprint’. Rooms can be added in either gable-type trusses or gambrel trusses. Typical attic rooms are 10’ to 12’ width and vary in height. Wider rooms may be possible upon an engineering review and/or if interior bearing/support is available.
Gable-type attic trusses require a steeper roof pitch to gain headroom within the room. Typically the roof will be a 6/12 pitch or greater according to the required room height and building appearance. Most attic rooms in a gable truss will have a flat ceiling in the center with sloped ceiling following the roofline on either side. The ceiling height can range from 5’ to 8’. The ceiling height and amount of sloped area is dependent on the overall span of the truss, room width and roof pitch.
Gambrel-style roofs give your building a unique look. Gambrel trusses have a steep roof pitch on either side with typically a 3/12 or 4/12 pitch in the center or top section. An advantage of an attic room in a gambrel truss is that the room has a consistent 8’-0” +/- ceiling height across the entire room width.
Choosing an attic truss option generally is more costly than proportionally increasing the overall size of a one-story building. However, with an attic truss, more square footage is possible while using less of your property. Contact Blue Chip Structures with your building ideas.