How much does the roof weigh?

Question

The house is 1800 square feet, single story, no attic, and the roof is composition shingle. I want to take out a load bearing wall and need to determine the number of columns it will take to span a 24 foot header in the living room.

No, I am not highering an engineer. This house is in the boondocks and no one will go out there.

How much does the roof weigh?

I am not "hiring" and engineer.

Answer 1

A house roof this size could be up to 12,000 lbs if you count shingles,sheathing, and rafters. A span of 24ft would require a large truss or steel beam I hope you are adding columns to reduce the actual span to less than 24 ft.

Answer 2

Hi John, not sure why you need to know the weight of the roof.In standard construction the weight of the roof is transfered to the outside walls and from there to the foundation/footer/ground.I am guessing the only loads you need to consider are the ceiling joists,ceiling material and the beam itself.I would say that if you install the correctly proportioned beam(preferabaly LDL) you could safely span the distance with just one upright in the center and the proper supports on the ends of the beam. Hope this answers your question....Good Luck

Answer 3

shingle are rated by square ( 100 sq ft ) ie 225 lbs per square most 3 tab shingles
i sheet of plywood ( 4 x 8 ) is 32 sq ft... about 3 per square ( 100 sq ft ) you will need to weigh one depending on thickness ( 1/2, 7/16, 5/8 ), & or if it is osb, or plywood! this will get you real close to pounds per 100 sq ft!

Answer 4

I honestly cannot tell you the weight since so many things play in. But I can tell you to not be afraid of overkill. I would go with a laminated 6x14 with 6x6s every 8'. That seems like it would do the job don't it?

Answer 5

sounds a bit dangerous. Be Careful

Answer 6

http://www.meltonclassics.com/index.html


They have plans, specs, etc to calculate weight load.