What is the tail of a truss?
Ava White
Updated on April 03, 2026
What is the tail of a truss?
Truss tails, sometimes referred to as rafter tails, are the lower end portions of the rafter that project beyond the exterior wall of a building, up near the roof.
What tool is used to cut the rafter tails?
The only other tools necessary for layout are a tape measure and a sharp pencil. To cut the rafter, you will need: Circular saw. Hand saw or jigsaw.
Where are the rafter tails on a building?
Rafter tails are the exposed exterior portion of a building’s wood structural truss that projects beyond the perimeter wall of the structure. This structural element is secured to the top of the wall or tie beam and then projects to support the soffit overhang.
What do you call the end of a rafter?
The Rafter tail is typically scrolled and detailed and is a major component of the soffit system in timber frame construction. We call them Rafter tails because they are the tail end or exposed end of a rafter. A rafter tail is also called, depending on where it is used on a home, as an Outlooker, Outrigger, Lookout, or Tailpiece.
Why do I have tails on my roof?
Decorative Rafter Tails. In some cases, rafter tails are not even part of the structure of the building and are added purely for their visual effect. These faux rafter tails are added by cutting back the real rafters so that they don’t extend beyond the exterior wall.
How big is the tail of a roof?
A rafter usually follows the angle of the roof, and may be a part of a roof truss.” The rafter is typically a 2” x 10” or a 2” x 12”. The rafter tail is the cut end of the rafter that extends to the edge of the roof. Most rafter tails are boxed in by a soffit, so that they are not visible to the eye.
Rafter tails are the exposed exterior portion of a building’s wood structural truss that projects beyond the perimeter wall of the structure. This structural element is secured to the top of the wall or tie beam and then projects to support the soffit overhang.
The Rafter tail is typically scrolled and detailed and is a major component of the soffit system in timber frame construction. We call them Rafter tails because they are the tail end or exposed end of a rafter. A rafter tail is also called, depending on where it is used on a home, as an Outlooker, Outrigger, Lookout, or Tailpiece.
Decorative Rafter Tails. In some cases, rafter tails are not even part of the structure of the building and are added purely for their visual effect. These faux rafter tails are added by cutting back the real rafters so that they don’t extend beyond the exterior wall.
What are the benefits of exposed rafter tails?
Aesthetically, exposed rafter tails created a pleasing and unfussy character, highlighting the beauty, rhythm, and order inherent in the building’s structural form itself.