There are many FAQ’s received from our customers. These are some of the questions we are asked most often.

Q. What information do you need in order to process a quotation?

A. If you are calling in your truss specifications to our Inside Sales staff, then we will need to know the Span, Pitch, Overhang, and Quantity. This may be in the form of “My building is 25’ wide and 40’ long, 6/12 pitch, 16” OH on each side and I’m spacing them 2’ O.C.” Either way is fine. Our staff are trained to handle various methods of obtaining information and will ask the customer questions in order to give an accurate quote.

A. If you have a set of blueprints and you need an estimate for the particular project, please feel free to call us or one of our sales representatives (Contacts) for a takeoff and we will give you an estimate. Sometimes the sales representative may need to bring your plans to our office for a designer to review and estimate. When this is done, the designer can provide a layout of your project with 3-D visualizations.

Q. What is the difference between a Top Chord Overhang (Rake) and a Cantilevered Overhang?

A. This is best illustrated in the Technical Info page of this site. With a top chord overhang, the top chord (or rafter) of the truss extends beyond the outside of the bearing support at a predetermined length by the architect or building designer. A cantilevered overhang is when the entire truss extends beyond its outside bearing support, thus creating the overhang. The cantilevered overhang is popular because it allows the contractor to apply insulation in the overhang areas that top chord overhangs doesn’t.

Q. What is Machined Stressed Lumber and why is it better than conventional visual grades?

A. Machined Stressed Lumber (MSR or MEL) is a machine grading process that measures characteristics, such as stiffness and/or density, that correlates with the structural properties of interest, such as bending strength. The process combines information about the visual characteristics of the grade with measured stiffness or density, sorts by the predicted strength, and labels each piece with a grade stamp. The result is a more precise understanding of the strength of each piece of machine graded lumber than is possible with visually graded lumber. TruLine Truss, Inc. uses MEL lumber in top and bottom chords of its trusses.

Q. What is the Heel Height?

A. A heel joint is the point where the top chord and bottom chord intersect. The heel height is outside measurement of the heel joint. This is illustrated on the Technical Info. page of this site.

Q. How long will it take you to give me an estimate for my new house?

A. Once the plans and other pertinent information are obtained, our goal is to have an estimate back to you within 5 working days or less. We spend a great deal of time quoting your project so we can answer many of your questions and provide accurate cost information. Much of this time allowance depends on the complexity of floor and roof design needed for your project.

Q. When placing an order for trusses, how long will it be before delivery?

A. Most of the time we operate on a two week scheduled basis. There are times, however, that this may differ depending on a busy building season. Please make sure to check with your area Sales Representative for lead time. Our scheduler will be able to give you an exact date once the shop drawings are approved and you will be called 2 days prior to delivery to make the appropriate arrangements for delivery.

Q. Are Truss Placement Plans Engineering Documents?

A.  No. The Truss Placement Plan prepared by the Truss Manufacturer is not an engineering document and should never be considered as a replacement for a structural framing plan prepared by the Building Designer. The preparation of the Truss Placement Plan does not require the special education, training, and experience that define the practice of engineering (as found in state engineering laws).