Setting the Roof Trusses

The crane arrives at 8AM on Saturday morning.  Mel and I have been up since 4:30 getting everything in order.  We unband the trusses and start hoisting them onto the top plates on the second floor.

Two friends, Jerry and Charlie, work the east and west top plates, guiding the trusses into position and nailing them onto the second story walls.

Peter works the middle, plumbing each truss from a high ladder in the middle of the roof.  When the trusses are plumb, bracing is added to keep everything in place.  At first, the trusses are like a house of cards.  As more trusses are set, we add cross bracing and the roof becomes more secure.

The gable ends are sheathed on the ground (except for a hole for the crane to hoist them).  It sure beats sheathing from a 35' ladder.  (Mel and Jeff are the ground crew in this picture:)

The crane operator can often unhook without assistance.  But sometimes someone needs to climb up and help out.  Jerry worked the plate on the crane side to help pass instructions to the crane operator (who can often not see what is going on beyond the walls).

By the end of the day, the house looks pretty different.  The turret roof framing and the east gable will be worked in the near future . . .