About this Timber Truss
What is special about a queen truss? The most significant aspect is the kind of boxy shape it creates in the center of the truss. The timber Queen truss aligns most closely with the Craftsman style… Can you keep a secret? Most often, the timber Queen trust isn’t a truss at all, but it is simply post and beam loading. Especially with the low roof slopes associated with the Craftsman style. Even when used in the euro style steep rough applications, the Queen posts simply reduce rafter spans. History is rich with old post and beam buildings 40’, 50’ and 60′ wide built with single or double supporting posts from the floor at strategic locations. This is a classic example of post and beam construction where simple span beams support the loading.
So what is a real truss? Very simply, a real truss uses tension to create load bearing capacity. (See Avoid 98lb weakling article for further clarity.) When the Queen truss is used as a genuine full span truss, the Queen post provides aesthetic value only. Therefore the Queen truss has the same limitations as the simple truss. If one were to add diagonal bracing to the lower triangles, one could achieve an attic truss made by many dimensional 2X lumber truss manufacturers today.
But it is rather unattractive geometry, in my opinion. I’ve seen pragmatic use of the Queen truss used in a Rustic style where the “attic box”, created by the spread out queen posts, was intended to display an old handmade canoe, naturally resting in the space overhead.
KEY POINT- Your creativity and imagination are the only real limiting factors to getting what you
want!
