Does a stick built roof system really have to have a load bearingwall inthemiddleand a Truss system doesn't?

Question

The reason I asked this question is because I just recently remodeled a one room school house that was built around 1895 and it had rafters and it obviously didn't have any load bearing walls because it was only one room. The size of the house is 24X36 with 12 foot cielings.

Duke is right,
There is a vertical beam at the peak.
I think the name of the truss is called a double Howe or a Pole Barn and the cieling joist are like 14 feet long. I guess they built trusses by hand and installed them. The whole rafter and truss thing confuzes me.

Answer 1

In most modern house construction it is possible to not have any load bearing walls in some houses. We have a house that is approximately 35 feet deep and doesn't have any load bearing walls. The ceiling joists are a 2 x 4 fabricated trusses that span from the front wall to the rear wall. This was done so the attic space could be finished space. The roof is a stick built system.

The garage has a similar design that eliminates any posts or walls. It is 25 feet wide and 45 feet long with 9 foot ceilings

Answer 2

You have talked about three different roof systems in your question.
A truss roof bears on the outside walls and, therefore, there are no load bearing walls.
A stick built roof (conventional), is built with joists and rafters. This usually would have a load bearing wall for the joists.
The roof you are talking about must have a beam at the peak of the roof, supporting the rafters, and maybe an in-floor beam for the joists, since there are no walls except for the outside walls.
I suggest taking a peak at the roof system built. 24' is a long way to span without a bearing wall of some sort.

Answer 3

A Stick built- must have the Bird Mouth to cut the Rafter level or Plumb cut to set level on the Wall- and the Joist sets beside it- A truss, the Rafter part sets on the Joist, and the Joist part is flat to the Top Plate already. I have toyed with the idea of just cutting an Angle on the Top plate so the Rafter lays flat on the Angle, seems easier than cutting all those dam Bird mouths. lol

Answer 4

The weight has to go some where AND no one wants it landing on their heads!

Duke sounds like the roof guy I'd want...

And be glad you not one of those remodeler's who remove load bearing walls or add doorways/windows etc AND then deal with the consequences($$$$ or loss of life) after learning the HARDway...

Now if we could keep those folks from adding floors to rafters AND opening up the attic... AND then it snowed...