Custom Cut Rafters for Specific Lengths and Bird's Mouth
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Building A MASSIVE Deck Part 3 - Roof Framing and Sheathing
What happens here
Each rafter is custom-cut to account for the "waviness" of the existing house wall and the desired roof pitch. The worker measures and marks the rafter board, then uses a circular saw and jigsaw to make precise cuts. A 'reverse bird's mouth' cut is explained, where the rafter sits on the inside of the beam, ensuring a flush connection and allowing for a clean fascia board installation. The individual length variations noted during the ledger board calibration are applied to each rafter, ensuring a perfect fit along the entire roofline.
Goal: Prepare each rafter for installation, accounting for unique measurements.
Tools and materials
- Circular Saw Makita — Making straight and angled cuts on rafters
- Framing Square — Ensuring accurate angle marking for bird's mouth cuts
- Jigsaw Makita — Finishing interior cuts for bird's mouth
- Pencil/Marker — Marking cut lines on rafter boards
- Rafter Boards — The angled structural members forming the roof slope
- Sawhorses — Supporting rafters during cutting
- Tape Measure — Taking precise measurements for each rafter