If you are considering building a timber frame home, it’s worth carefully considering how the
attic space will be used before the design stage.

Attic space can not only provide you with more living space, but it can also increase the
value of your home. Consider whether to use the space as an extra bedroom, an office, a
playroom or even just as organised storage space.

If you are installing solar panels, you may also want to allow space for a storage battery.

Even if you are not yet sure how the space will be used, designing the space with an attic
truss with open space gives you flexibility for the future.

Practical benefits of designing a timber frame house with attic trusses

An attic truss is engineered differently from a standard roof truss and is designed as part of a
whole-house timber frame system which is fully manufactured off-site. Stairs to the attic
space will also be designed as part of the timber frame system.

A prefabricated attic truss will:

•  Reduce on-site labour costs
•  Reduce square metre build costs by optimising space from ground level to attic
  space
• Be engineered to take the load of an extra room
• Be instantly ready for the installation of floorboards and plasterboard and roof tiles
• Be designed for installation of required plumbing and services
• Add value to your home
• Give you living space flexibility

Cantilever trusses

Roof trusses vary depending on the size and design of a building project. A cantilever truss
will be used if say a bedroom or attic space has a balcony – the roof will overhang the
balcony to provide cover.

A typical roof truss can be cantilevered at one end of the profile or both ends and will be
structurally engineered for the designed cantilever distance.

Common roof trusses used for timber frame housebuilding

Here are a few common types of roof trusses used in self-building:

King Post Truss: Used for small house and garage roofs up to 4.5M.

Queen Post Truss: Used for the majority of UK houses up to 6M.

Fink Truss: Commonly used for residential properties spanning up to 11M, large enough to
house a water tank or solar battery.

Double W: Mostly used for large properties or commercial buildings spanning 16M.

Attic Truss: Designed with central useable room space.

There are many other types of roof trusses including mono trusses for hip ends and
corridors.

Please get in touch with our design team to learn more about roof truss design and how to
best to utilise the attic space in a timber frame house, or to ask any other questions about
timber frame housebuilding.