Free Playhouse Plans

Making the playhouseA small house for children to play in. roof frame

Refer to the ‘Frame Cutting List’ and The ‘Roof, Cuts and Angles’ to cut all the pieces required for the roof frame.
The roof frame pieces comprise of 1 ridgeThe horizontal line at the top of opposing sloping sides of a roof running parallel with the building length. beamA supporting member., 2 lower horizontalParallel to the horizon, flat, level. roof frame members, 2 ridge beam supports, 10 common rafters, 4 fly rafters, 10 common rafterA standard or most commonly used parallel member of a roof that supports the roofing boards. It slopes from the ridge to the top wall plate. attachments and also the pieces required to make the two gableThe roof ends and walls that form an inverted "V". trusses.
Also cut 2 pieces of 300×25 (1×12) soffit boardSoffit lining. Cladding on the underside of the eaves. 1890mm (75 1/2″) long.

1.) Attach the 10 attachment pieces to the 10 common rafters. They can be fixed using nails and nailA short nail with a large flat head used for securing roofing felt, plasterboard, sheet metal to wood etc. plates. See fig.1.
Make up the two gable trusses. Refer to the The ‘Roof, Cuts and Angles’.

2.) Temporarily clamp the 2 soffitEaves lining; The underside board of eaves and rakes. boards in place so that they are overhanging outside of the side walls approximately 170 (7″), and overhanging the front and rear walls approximately 45mm (1 3/4″)
FixTo secure with nails or screws. the two Ridge Beam Supports on top of (and in the middle of) the front and rear Wall Frame Top Plates. The Ridge Beam can then be fixed in place on top of the two Beam Supports. Ensure the beam supports are verticalPlumb, upright. and the beam overhang is the same each end. Add a temporary braceTo make rigid.: See fig.2.

3.) Fix the end common rafters to the ridge beam directly above the front and rear walls. DO NOT NAIL THE BOTTOMS OF THE RAFTERS YET.
Fix the two lower roof frame horizontal members to the bottom of the end rafters, one each side. Ensure the overhangs past each rafterStructural member of a roof that supports the roof load and runs from the ridge to the top of the side walls. at each end are equal and they should also be equal to the ridge beam overhang: See fig.3.
Undo the clamps and fix the soffit boardA piece of sawn, or dressed lumber of greater width than thickness. Usually 19mm (3/4") to 38mm (1 1/2") thick and 75mm (3") or more wide. to the underside of the roof frame horizontal memberPiece of lumber that is part of a frame or structure. (one each side). Ensure that the outside edges of the two soffit boards are flushBeing even with. with the outside edge of the two roof frame horizontal members and that the bottoms of the end rafters are 45mm (1 3/4″) in from the ends of the soffit board.
If necessary, move the soffit board so that the opposing overhangs on the wall frames are equal and then nail the soffit board to the top plateThe top horizontal framing member of the wall..

4.) Add the intermediate common rafters and the front and rear fly rafters (fig.4). Refer to the The ‘Roof, Cuts and Angles’ for rafter placement.

5.) Add the two gable trusses (one each end) and the blockingBlocks, see Block. between the common rafter and the fly rafterA projecting rafter of a gable end. (fig.5). Refer to the The ‘Roof, Cuts and Angles’ for blocking placement.