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rafters attached to a ledger question...

H

hans@dha-architects.

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Oct 12, 2022
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71
Location
FARMINGTON, CT
inspector commented to my contractor building a house that (1), shed roof rafters that are attached to a ledger need to have hangers, and (2), 2x4 ceiling joists at a porch roof (about 5' long) need hangers as well at the ledger against the exterior wall........inspector pointed me to 802.6 Bearing which does state that rafter ends and ceiling joists need to bear on 1-1/2" wood or metal, but it doesn't really address the ledger fastening - wouldn't the rafters be allowed to be nailed to the ledger just as they are to a rim board/beam per the fastening table? As for the ceiling joists, seems a bit overkill - they're not acting as rafter ties or anything, simply there to attach bead board ceiling - what did we do for hundreds of years without hangers?!. same inspector earlier said that when there's a ridge beam, the rafters have to sit on the beam and not framed into it (wrong)
 
Do you have pictures? There are many reasons your inspector could be right, so I would have to withhold judgement.
 
I do not.....the shed roof is for a 12' deep sunroom, 5/12 pitch - just really don't see how it differs from a ridge board nailed connection, plus I would think that bearing section only applies to the bottom of the rafter not the top. As for the ceiling joists, the rafters bear on the exterior wall and the outer beam on the exterior columns, so really not necessary structurally - he initially told the contractor because they were over 4' long they needed them, but I don't see that anywhere in the code either, anyway, I know it's what the code says but just seems to be a bit overkill for the application
 
What Town Hans? I would think that 802.4.4 would help and then to read the last part of 802.6...It isn't a slam dunk, but....


R802.4.4 Rafter Supports​

Where the roof pitch is less than 3:12 (25-percent slope), structural members that support rafters, such as ridges, hips and valleys, shall be designed as beams, and bearing shall be provided for rafters in accordance with Section R802.6.


R802.6 Bearing​


The ends of each rafter or ceiling joist shall have not less than 11/2 inches (38 mm) of bearing on wood or metal and not less than 3 inches (76 mm) on masonry or concrete. The bearing on masonry or concrete shall be direct, or a sill plate of 2-inch (51 mm) minimum nominal thickness shall be provided under the rafter or ceiling joist. The sill plate shall provide a minimum nominal bearing area of 48 square inches (30 968 mm2). Where the roof pitch is greater than or equal to 3 units vertical in 12 units horizontal (25-percent slope), and ceiling joists or rafter ties are connected to rafters to provide a continuous tension tie in accordance with Section R802.5.2, vertical bearing of the top of the rafter against the ridge board shall satisfy this bearing requirement.

The CJ support/ hanger there is no real good way out of...Other than using the framing of openings language:


R802.9 Framing of Openings​


Openings in roof and ceiling framing shall be framed with header and trimmer joists. Where the header joist span does not exceed 4 feet (1219 mm), the header joist shall be permitted to be a single member the same size as the ceiling joist or rafter. Single trimmer joists shall be permitted to be used to carry a single header joist that is located within 3 feet (914 mm) of the trimmer joist bearing. Where the header joist span exceeds 4 feet (1219 mm), the trimmer joists and the header joist shall be doubled and of sufficient cross section to support the ceiling joists or rafter framing into the header. Approved hangers shall be used for the header joist to trimmer joist connections where the header joist span exceeds 6 feet (1829 mm). Tail joists over 12 feet (3658 mm) long shall be supported at the header by framing anchors or on ledger strips not less than 2 inches by 2 inches (51 mm by 51 mm).

Put your seal on it and send it down the road....
 
it's Canton....
HA - that section does help, not for me though! It appears the rafters are at a 2/12 pitch (I didn't have the drawings in front of me when I answered him back, thought it was a 5 pitch), thus would require hangers, now that is a clear answer, so ok, I'm fine with that. As for the ceiling joists, although that section relates to openings, it appears header joists only require hangers when over 6', so if under that they wouldn't need them, so why would regular ceiling joists require them under 6'?
 
in my head it was anything 4' or more span that reqd hangers... i would have fallen under the same trouble as this inspector
 
correction, the rafters he was addressing were the front porch ones, just assumed it was the sunroom ones which do have hangers, the porch ones are a 5 pitch, so now that section does help me, I'll see what he says, contractor is just going to add the hangers instead of spending more time on this, but the inspector allowed the first half dozen houses in this development to not have hangers at those rafters
 
the 4' rule says that if it's a header, it can be a single member same size as the joists, but when more than 4' they shall be doubled, don't see anything about ceiling joists being a certain length though - if this were a ceiling below an attic where there may be storage or accessibility, I can see the hangers being required, but a little 5' porch ceiling is just overkill
 
hans@dha-architects. said:
it's Canton....
HA - that section does help, not for me though! It appears the rafters are at a 2/12 pitch (I didn't have the drawings in front of me when I answered him back, thought it was a 5 pitch), thus would require hangers, now that is a clear answer, so ok, I'm fine with that. As for the ceiling joists, although that section relates to openings, it appears header joists only require hangers when over 6', so if under that they wouldn't need them, so why would regular ceiling joists require them under 6'?
Click to expand...
Logic says they shouldn't......But.....Nothing on the nailing schedule makes it hard...Might be able to use the AWC NDS....And good nails...And that 2 pitch requires double underlayment and I have seen some shingles that don't allow 2.....Suprised he hasn't called me yet....
 
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This may have come from the UBC? 4'ft header requires additional studs at the ends, CJ's over 6ft require a ledger or J-Hangers. (Also see IBC 2308.4)

Rafters may need some type of metal connector for up-lift reasons? Does anyone do squash blocks between the rafters, haven't seen that done for a while.
 
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