How To Notch Out A 2x4 For A Roof

Access the roof using an extension ladder.

How to notch out a 2x4 for a roof. Measure each section of the roof from side to side parallel to the line of the fascia board. For the rafter to fit correctly you need to cut the bird s mouth exactly where the rafter will meet the wall. Measure out the span of your arch on a sheet of your plywood and cut a piece of string to the same length represented in the images as the line which connects a to b. So roughly 7 8 long for a 2 4.

This video will show you how to figure length and cut a common rafter for a gable roof using a framing square. For this example a section of roof is 20 feet wide. Each side of the gusset will be 8 long but only 8 tall. Birdsmouth joint how to cut a birdsmouth and how to cut and install roofing rafters and joists.

The roof rafters provide integral structural support to the roof. The rule of thumb is that the gusset should be twice the width of the wood you use for your rafters. If you re framing a gable roof on a new house or building a shed or even a doghouse with a gable roof you ll need to cut a number of roof rafters. You are going to cut out triangles that will cover the apex of each set of rafters.

Find the center point of your first measurement on the plywood and draw a line at a 90 degree angle from that center point until you reach the desired height of your arch. Once you ve cut the top end of the first rafter you can calculate the position of the bird s mouth based on the height and width of the roof then use that rafter as a pattern to cut the others.