Raised Heel Attic Truss

Combined with a properly designed attic ventilation system and some well placed air sealing a roof framed with raised heel aka high heel or energy trusses reduces the temperature and pressure differences between the conditioned living space below and the unconditioned attic area thereby reducing thermal transfer or heat loss between those spaces.

Raised heel attic truss.

The raised heel provides additional space for cheaper attic insulation and for the full depth of insulation to be extended right to the outside of the top plate. With a raised heel truss you have enough space to utilize cheaper insulation methods such as blown cellulose or fiberglass batts. Raised heel trusses 9 1 4 to 15 1 4 inches in depth. Builders don t need special tools or know how to build with them.

Also the raised heel trusses are assumed to have a heel height of between 9 inches to 15 inches. Truss heel height the vertical depth of the truss at the outside face of the bearing. With raised heel trusses it may be possible to put hvac ductwork in the attic without the system losing too much heat. Raised heel trusses can allow you to install full depth uncompressed fiberglass batt insulation from wall to wall in your pole barn s attic floor.

This is the least expensive form of insulation for the attic floor. A raised heel truss is identical to a conventional truss except for one difference. Easy to build with. Though extra material is used to create the trusses raised design the extra cost can be offset by the need for less insulation without compromising energy efficiency.

This allows us to install full depth insulation across the entire ceiling attic. Raised energy heel typical truss heel height is about 12 but may be designed to most any height per the building designer specification. It greatly simplifies attic ventilation and it leaves ample room for insulation above exterior wall top plates. The extra height of a raised heel truss roof provides additional space for uncompressed attic insulation and the full depth of insulation to be extended right to the outside of the top plate.

Raising the truss higher has two big advantages. The raised heel truss below shows how a vertical member is added to the roof truss to raise the top cord at the eave. Standard heel typical truss heel height is about 4. When insulation is compressed its r value is reduced.

It is raised higher with a heel that extends up from the top of the wall and elevates the truss at the building s edges. Which in turn improves the overall energy efficiency of the home. The guide can be downloaded for free from the apa s website. Raised heel trusses are installed the same as conventional trusses.