Step 1 remove the existing roof.
How to remove roof trusses.
My own home i live in now has 2x12 rafters.
When taking the roofing materials off be sure to extend the path of demolishing to each existing truss on each side of the.
I have this above my own garage.
Use a chalk line to draw a line along the floor parallel to the lower edge of the roof from one end of the attic to the other on both sides.
Watch this video before.
Typically the truss designer will specify a very strong wood species like southern yellow pine or even douglas fir.
Your parents roof rafters were probably made from 2x8 s and could have been 2x10 s or 2x12 s.
This can easily be accomplished by using a hammer and a crowbar.
Look at this photo of the space created by attic trusses at my home.
Roof trusses are a common means of support and load bearing.
Measure in from the lower edge of the roof to a point 1 4 the width of the truss on either side of the attic.
If the roof slope is steeper than 9 inches in 12 inches of run it doesn t take much width to end up with a nice room 12 feet wide with an 8 foot ceiling.
Remember any alterations to a roof should be undertaken only with an engineer.
Measure the width of your roof trusses from inside to inside.
Most common attic trusses for homes and garages are made with 2x4 s.