Sugar House Design

[flathill]

I have checked the UVM sugar house booklet on line showing 3 sugar house designs. The one labeled PS-1 is 20 ft. wide by 34 ft. long.
The print shows a few views and material list. I can not figure out how they do the 20 ft. cross ties or upper wall joists.
The print shows cross ties 2x6 ". And then the other view show's 2x8 " joists. The material list only shows 2x6 " crossties 12 ft long.
Not sure how this design gets its wide 20 ft. span with proper and safe support ?
I like the idea of having a 20 ft. wide building.
Is the booklet missing some information or am I just confused ?

Flathill

[unc23win]

I am not sure about their design, but if your using trusses 20 feet wide is not a big deal. Mine is 24' wide trusses 4' on centers. If your not building a second story you just have to hold snow no need for more support. If the roof pitch is good the snow won't last long.

[flathill]

Jared, Thank you for the information. Yes trusses would work. Did you build your own or order them pre made ?
What was interesting in the PS-1 prints was that no trusses were shown so I thought some other construction method was used. Long 20 feet pre made timbers can be purchased that will allow this span. They sell them at Home Depot but I'm not sure what they are properly called. They are usually used for wide span floor joists or ceiling joists.
I will review the PS-1 print again and better observe to see if trusses were used.
Flathill

[unc23win]

You are welcome. I bought my trusses (they are not expensive) I used 24' with 2' overhang mine are 4/12 pitch I ordered 5/12 and they messed up and I was out of time. One change I might have made if I were doing it again would be more overhang. With mine as it is I am planning on doing a porch roof with dormer over doors on one entire side which will give me a place to park my atv under as well as move the snow away from entrances.

[wiam]

I kick myself for using manufactured trusses. I put my feed tank up tight to bottom cord and it is a pain to clean. I wish I had put the ties further up the rafter. That is just wasted space with a normal truss

[wiam]

As for the plans did they overlap 2 12' to get 20'??

[maple flats]

Mine were made onsite. My sugarhouse is only 16' wide and I have 3' overhang on each side. Makes a good place to stage firewood. Even though my walls are 10' tall, the wood still gets enough protection from rain and snow that it dries well. Soon after the season I load one side up (that's the only side I use for wood at this time) and the rest is stored up off the ground, split and stacked out in a field. When I use 1/3-1/2 the wood against the sugarhouse, I refill it from the field for final drying. I then use the older wood first. When and if needed I repeat on the other end. My wood is cut at 21" and this past year I only refilled the stack once, most years 2 and occasionally even 3 times (I boil up to 14% concentrate). Before the RO I filled a lot more times, using 5-7 times as much wood.

[unc23win]

Oh yea I forgot to mention I used Scissor trusses which give it a little more room (probably a little over 2 feet in the center). They look a little better in my opinion sort of like timber. I am planning on putting a ceiling in mine someday. My walls are 10' and I have my evaporator on the right side as it is left side draw only and I still have plenty of room over it for a piggy back.