On Mon, 26 Nov 2007, Oliver wrote:
> please. think safety. i may be over paranoid, but i would NEVER use a roof
> joist. or a tree limb.
Thinking safety first is always a good idea. However, in this case, we
have folks that have done sensible "discovery" steps such as seeking
advice from a an architect (or structural engineer or whatever).
Your standard roofing system is designed to withstand pretty hefty forces,
and where I live (NE USofA) that means that they will stand up to
significant snow loads (think 10's of thoushands of pounds).
So, even though it's good to be prudent, the prudence can be overdone.
Now, _floor joists_ are another topic altogether. Many new homes use
composite structural lumber (such as built-up wood I-beams) and these
units are made to work as part of a system. In thosee systems, the
individual parts are waaaaaay less strong than the entire system is, and
these can fail if the load is not spread properly.
If you know what your are doing, using the roof system is probably okay.
If you do not know what you are doing, then you should cede to a person
knowledgable to your circumstances. Everything else is just conjecture.
> i want to see my grandchildren grow up.
Me too. Wait - I don't have any children, grandkids are not going to
happen. That doesn't mean I don't want to see a whole lot more sunrises,
though!
Be safe out there.
rml
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