Manufactured floor trusses have many applications from multi-family homes to custom additions and industrial spaces. What are they and what are the benefits of using them? Read on to see if this product could be the perfect fit for you and your project.
What are Manufactured Floor Trusses?
Floor trusses are an alternative to traditional floor joists and are used in the structural support of a building’s floors. Manufactured floor trusses are built off-site, so they can then be transported and installed efficiently as whole pieces. Because of their relatively simple assembly and value at non-standard depths, trusses are more economical than joists and are particularly useful in applications where a structure needs to be built to custom design specifications and with uniform parts.
Sounds convenient, right? But what types of projects are manufactured floor trusses used in?
Manufactured Floor Trusses in Single and Multi-Family Homes
In home building, floor trusses can be manufactured according to the architect’s plans to streamline the building process. For builders working on production homes, having prefabricated elements coordinates complicated pieces for any depth standard, series or grade of lumber. They also offer better span ratings, meaning deeper floor truss designs can reduce the need for bearings and footings, leading to greater savings for the builder and homeowner.
Floor trusses are a preferred choice over joists because they establish clear space for plumbing, electrical wiring and mechanical utilities. When installers have room to work, they can complete their jobs faster and to a higher degree of detail. It might take a little more time to frame the space, but it makes everyone’s jobs easier. Access to those utilities later will also be simpler if there are dedicated areas for them to occupy.
When building a home, you want the project to be built to an excellent standard. Manufactured floor trusses ensure uniformity within specific design criteria and the precise workmanship. Since each of the trusses are made with care and made the same way every time, you can trust that each expertly crafted truss will support your project flawlessly and equally.
Industrial Manufactured Floor Trusses
Industrial construction is particularly suited for manufactured floor trusses because large spaces not only need the extra floor support that trusses provide, but they often require deeper and fixed dimensions. Manufactured floor trusses are put together with the help of an architect and engineer, then installed at the jobsite, consolidating several steps of the building process.
Manufactured floor trusses enable this step of the process to be completed more economically than constructing trusses on-site or using traditional floor joists. This is because the greater the depth of the truss, the better the savings when compared to engineered wood products. It is more difficult and can take longer to find materials to accommodate greater depths if you’re not using manufactured floor trusses. They are useful in industrial settings where they not only make more sense for the structure of the building but minimize the time the space is not able to be used or advance the goals of the business.
Manufactured Floor Trusses in Home Remodeling and Additions
Manufactured floor trusses also have a valuable place in large remodeling jobs. Projects like home additions or floor plan reconfigurations can benefit from the use of prefabricated trusses. Floor trusses can be manufactured to match any build specifications, and they can be built while the home is being prepared for their installation. This way, when it’s time to put them in place, the floor trusses are ready to go.
Additions that involve non-standard depths are perfect applications for manufactured floor trusses because the trusses can be built specifically for unique plans, unlike joists and constructions that are typically made for standardized applications. Rather than ordering customized materials, floor trusses can be manufactured to your specific criteria and provide better support for your new home addition.
If you’re remodeling your home, you likely want to limit the amount of time your home is open for construction. Any and all pieces that can be made off-site will save time and put you that much closer to the completion of your remodeling project.
Benefits of Manufactured Floor Trusses
Using manufactured floor trusses rather than making the trusses on-site or installing floor joists has many advantages. A few of those are consistency, speed, convenience, and cost.
Consistency
Manufactured floor trusses are built off-site where they are protected from elements during the entire process of their construction. As soon as they’re ready to be installed, they are moved from the warehouse to the structure, so you don’t have to worry about the lumber getting wet from dew or rain, being warped by the sun, or sitting around where it could be damaged.
When your floor trusses are installed, all materials are of a consistent quality. Having had little to no exposure to moisture or pests, they will last much longer than joists or trusses built on-site.
Speed
While time savings in standard construction scenarios are minimal, in highly customized builds, floor trusses can be made quicker than sourcing other materials to meet particular specifications. If you really want to streamline the building process, consider using manufactured roof trusses and wall panels as well. The more parts you can prepare ahead of time, the quicker your project will be completed.
Convenience
Manufactured floor trusses are easy to assemble and place within your structure with the help of an experienced engineer. It’s like fitting a puzzle together except instead of a thousand pieces, you only need a few. By entrusting the craftsmanship to a manufacturer, you can rely on them to build to your exact plans and deliver a product ideally and uniquely suited for your application.
Cost
If you’re making trusses or installing floor joists by hand, you’ll go through a considerable amount of materials and labor. You can eliminate a bulk of that cost by purchasing manufactured floor trusses. You won’t have leftover materials to waste and won’t have to spend extra on engineered products to match your truss’s depth and complexity.
Manufactured floor trusses are a modern alternative to floor joists and more convenient than making trusses one at a time on-site. Interested to see how manufactured floor trusses can improve your production efficiency? Give us a call at (888) 772-2119! Zeeland Lumber & Supply manufactures our own floor trusses, along with roof trusses and wall panels. For manufactured components made right here in the Midwest, and delivery you can count on, trust Zeeland Lumber & Supply. Connect with us online today.
