Choosing the Perfect Timber Truss for Your Home
- Taylor Meckling
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
Finding the right timber truss style for your home is a fun and rewarding process that will dramatically impact the feel of your living space. Whether you prefer straight timbers or a more curved look, timber trusses add a sense of strength and artistry to any room.
As you dive into the planning process, you'll gain a clearer understanding of what you love and what will look best in your home. It's wise to keep an open mind, as practical considerations like building codes and engineering requirements can influence your final choice.
To help you find your ideal truss, let's explore some of the most popular styles.
Simple Truss
For those who appreciate unpretentious, straightforward design, the simple truss is a lesson in elegance. Its no-frills design is perfect for smaller spans, typically up to 12 feet, as larger spans can look a bit empty. However, for a modern aesthetic, that "emptiness" might be just the clean look you're after. The typical maximum span for a simple truss is around 30 feet, unless you opt for massive top chords.
King Truss
The king truss is arguably the most common style of exposed timber truss, and for good reason—its timeless geometric beauty is a cross-cultural gem. This versatile style can be adapted to fit Rustic, Traditional, Classic, and Euro Timber aesthetics. You can enhance its elegance with arched bottom timbers and curved webs. While it's relatively easy to span 30 feet with king trusses, they can be engineered to span up to 40 feet.
Queen Truss
What makes the queen truss special is the boxy shape it creates in the center. This style aligns most closely with the Craftsman aesthetic. Interestingly, in many cases, what is called a queen truss isn't a true truss but rather a post-and-beam structure, especially with the low roof slopes common in Craftsman design. When it does function as a genuine truss, its limitations are similar to those of the simple truss.
Scissor Truss
The timber scissor truss is a practical way to achieve a higher ceiling, making it a great choice for spaces like sports courts or for simply creating a more open, airy feel. This style works best with Euro, Rustic, and Modern designs. It's not as well-suited for the shallow roof slopes of the Craftsman style, as steeper pitches increase the truss's strength. You can also integrate arches into a scissor truss, with the "arched king truss" being a very popular, albeit technically misnamed, option.
Key Takeaways
As you move forward, remember the three most important things:
flexibility, flexibility, and flexibility! Embracing a flexible mindset will help you navigate the design and building process to find the perfect timber truss style for your home. Don't be discouraged if you feel a little confused by all the options; it's a natural part of clarifying what you truly want.
