Episode 003 1995 - 96 Season

| Wind Reinforcements | Rafter Clips | Cut-in Roofs | Truss Roofs | Truss Floors | Treating Water Stains | Calking Bathtubs | How Much Per Month? | |

To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #003.


 Rafter Clips

Michael Holigan : Tim, this is really a critical point that bothers me with most builder's homes. That's where the rafter ties in to the top plate of the wall. It's just because most builders I see just toenail, one nail on each side of the rafter to try to hold it together.

Tim Marshall (Haag Engineering) : That's right, and what that does is it puts this connection in tension so it's very easy to pull this rafter up and out if you got a wind load.

M.H.: So anytime the wind hits the side wall of the house and comes up, it can just take the roof right off the house.

T.M.: That's exactly right.

M.H.: Yeah. Another problem is in areas with snow loads, that weight coming down on it can push it out.

T.M.: Exactly.

M.H.: Yeah. There's an easy way to take of that. Some people call it a 'hurricane clip', some a 'rafter clip', a lot of different names, but it's a piece of galvanized metal that actually attaches the top plate to the rafter so it's going to hold together, whether it be a high wind or a snow load. What does that do to really strengthen that joint?

T.M.: Well, what you've just done by doing this here, is put these connections in shear, so if you try to pull up on this thing here, you're trying to shear the fastener or shear the plate here and it's a much stronger connection.

M.H.: Much, much stronger. And, 20 cents a piece, approximately $20.00 to do a whole house, going to make your home much safer in a storm or in a heavy snow load, so make sure they're on your house if you're doing any building or any remodeling.

Episode 003 1995 - 96 Season

| Wind Reinforcements | Rafter Clips | Cut-in Roofs | Truss Roofs | Truss Floors | Treating Water Stains | Calking Bathtubs | How Much Per Month? | |

To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #003.