Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
If you wish to add decorative detailing to rafters, do so before you lift and fasten them into place. Following are the methods for detailing, fastening, and bracing rafters.
Decorative rafter tails Decoratively cutting rafter ends can give a patio roof or gazebo a distinctive style. Use a saber saw for making curved cuts.
Sloping rafters Fitting sloped rafters in place can be tricky for a novice. It's usually easiest to cut one rafter to fit and then use it as a template for the rest, but this only works if the supporting beam and ledger (or second beam) are perfectly parallel.
To cut sloping rafters for a house-attached patio roof, lay a rafter board so it rests on its edge on both the ledger and the beam parallel to the ledger. Then force the rafter's tip snugly against the house wall. Using a block of wood as a ruler, mark the ends for cutting.
Cut the triangular piece off the rafter end that rests on the ledger and off the end that rests on the beam, as shown below. Cut notches where the rafter rests on the ledger and on the beam.
Place the rafter in several positions along the ledger and the beam to check for fit. Then mark and cut the remaining rafters, using this rafter as a template. Before fastening the rafters in place, treat them with a wood finish.
Patio Roofs & Gazebos Allyou need to know about building outdoor structures, from aninspirational gallery for unique ways to extend your living spaceoutdoors, to step-by-step photo sequences to build an outdoor structureprecisely suited to your needs.
