Equally important to helping make sure your floor joists and roof rafters are strong and stiff enough, this section also looks in depth at designing open cathedral roofs. These roofs are completely exposed on the underside with only the roof rafters showing. The ceiling joists and collar ties that add clutter and reduce headroom have been removed.

Now this may not sound particularly difficult to accomplish until you consider the fact that the ceiling joists/collar ties are what keep the roof rafters from splaying out the tops of the walls when the roof is loaded by heavy snow or a strong wind. In this section on roof rafters, beams, and floor joists, I'll show you how to size your roof rafters, determine the number of fasteners at critical connections, and provide hidden reinforcement that will allow you to have an uncluttered, open, and tall cathedral ceiling that’s very strong. Want to know how to use lumber span tables, size beams, roof rafters and floor joists? You've come to the right place.

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