soffit structure

[pgjacob]

Hi All

I am trying to learn how to create a soffit as in the picture attached.  The soffits are parallel with the ground.  But in Chief when I draw the roof plane, the soffits are at the same pitch as the roof.

 

Also, I want to create a custom molding to mimic the fascia in the pic.  I know how to create the molding, just want to make sure I know the best way to apply it to the roof.  Shadowboard?  I really know nothing about roofs.

 

Essentially this will be a metal roof.  Rafters covered with plywood and then the metal. 

 

thanks in advance,

melissa

[pgjacob]

yep, that's it! 

 

thanks!

melissa

[Michael_Gia]

I never understood Chief’s insistence on rafter style roof systems.

Maybe it’s because I’m in the northeast, but aren’t the most common roof trusses, Howe style?

That is, a truss that cantilevers over the top plate and extends 16” to 24” inches past the exterior wall with a soffit that is parallel to the ground, to create the eave?  This way you also have a healthy heel for insulation and venting?

I feel Chief was designed to build roofs for log cabins in the desert. 

 

I always have have to take a cross section to measure how much I need to raise my roof so that the bottom chord/joist sits on top of my top plate of the exterior walls. 

 

I guess I’m venting...

[Ridge_Runner]

15 hours ago, Michael_Gia said:

I never understood Chief’s insistence on rafter style roof systems.

I live in the Southeast and most of our houses around here use rafters. The builders here are very slow to accept newer (better, maybe?) methods. They hold on to the old, "we've always done it that way so why change?" mantra religiously. Trusses also got a bad rap here from contractors/framers several years ago because of the tendency to "uplift" in the middle when loaded up; our area still hasn't overcome that bad press. Can't tell you how many complaints I've heard about ugly joints at the top of walls, especially those with crown molding. But until we can get Pinterest to stop showing great, vaulted ceilings and spaces from million dollar homes, and convincing homeowners they can have it in a 2,000 sq.ft. home, I will have to use framing. I also lay blame on framers with nailguns (apologies to those good framers on here);  they like stitching 2x's with nails and trusses are just a different animal.

[Michael_Gia]

Regarding crown molding gaps, it's true that you can get some gaps which are easily fixable with a little silicone and paint.

I get it though, everyone wants to buy a house that is guaranteed, no-maintenance-and-no-defects-for-as-long-as-you-own-the-house-or-your-money-back, but that's not realistic.

 

To minimize this effect quite a bit I alway tell my sheetrock installer to NOT screw the edge of the sheets where they meet an exterior wall, just allow the tape to hold it (plaster joint). 

It ain't going to get up and walk away on you. This will allow the trusses to lift the sheetrock up and down as walls settle or roof trusses bow etc...

 

Either way this is far less an inconvenience than the problems that will arise if the attic is not vented and insulated properly.

 

As far as Chief roofs are concerned though, I wish that "raise off plate", feature in the roof dialogue box actually worked in relation to the pitch.  

That is I have to use a table of values for each pitch and corresponding height in order to determine how high I have to set this value.

Why can't I just set the "absolute height" for my soffit, or fascia or any other part of the eave?  Why have a value for the ridge height anyway?  Ridge height is a function of span and pitch.  Let me determine where my eave sits and the rest will follow.  Ridge height will be shown in elevations with the story pole dimensions.

 

I guess this should be in the suggestions section of the forum.

[Ridge_Runner]

20 hours ago, Michael_Gia said:

To minimize this effect quite a bit I alway tell my sheetrock installer to NOT screw the edge of the sheets where they meet an exterior wall, just allow the tape to hold it (plaster joint). 

I have tried to convince the GC and rock hangers this will work; they just don't buy it. To leave out screws at those locations is foolishness to them.