Square Hip Roofs
Cutting rafters for a completely square hip roof can be done as easily as any
regular pitch
hip roof except for one difference.
Your first common rafter right and left must have 3/4" added to it vertically and
cut the
top using the same 3/4" and then continue on as normal.
This 3/4" addition simulates not having a ridge board which you would not have
and allows
the common rafter front and rear to line up
correctly at the top. Otherwise the common rafter
front and rear would appear
to be 3/4" low.
As with any hip rafters remember to deduct your
normal hip drop so everything lines up
smooth. The outer edges of the hip
should be flush with the top of the common rafters to
maintain a smooth flat
roof.
The main problem with most hip roofs is the walls below or header frame may not
be perfectly
square which would make a calculated diagonal hip rafter length
too long or too short. This is
why I always add a measured length and would
always recommend measuring to avoid
cutting your expensive hip material wrong.
Splaying or spreading problems
You can use steel fasteners readily available on the internet by Simpson strong ties
or
other manufacturers.
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