Splice Roof Rafters

A ridge board is a much better way to secure rafters to your roof and will almost always be a better way to go.

Splice roof rafters. Rafter plates are load bearing beams that support either a single rafter or a truss. Rafter splicing is typically used as a last resort for erecting rafters and is not generally the preferred method of constructing roofs. A splice should end between rafters not where a rafter lands directly on the splice. Some roofs are much longer than average milled board lengths which creates the need to splice one ridge board to the end of another ridge board.

Several roof rafters have been spliced in a v pattern near the roof ridge. Rafter plates are almost always spliced due to the length of most structures. In this case the framer just needed a longer rafter. When you prepare to make the splice note the rafters location.

In this case the rafter as a whole is actually stronger than it would have been because the splice is more than adequate and the plywood adds to the strength. Rafter splice forgive the crude drawing will post pic but it is hard to see. How to splice a roof rafter plate. Calculate where a ridge beam splice will be needed.

The roof rafters are 2x8 on 16 centers with 2x10 ridges. A 30 foot roof for instance will need at least two boards. A 16 foot board will end at a rafter with 24 inch spacing.