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Roof trusses

King post truss

A king post truss is the simplest roof truss: two top chords, a bottom chord and one vertical post from the apex down to the middle of the tie.

Also known as king post, kingpost truss, king post roof truss, single post truss

The single central post, the king post, stops the bottom chord from sagging and braces the apex. Some versions add two short diagonals from the foot of the post to the top chords.

Because it has few members, it suits short spans, such as garages, porches and small buildings. It is also the classic exposed truss of traditional timber roofs.

Related terms
Queen post trussA queen post truss has two vertical posts instead of one, which lets it span further than a king post truss. Fink trussA fink truss is the standard pitched roof truss, with internal webs arranged in a W; it is the most widely used truss type for houses. Truss typesRoof trusses come in many shapes, such as fink, mono, attic, scissor and girder trusses, each suited to a different roof form, span or use of the roof space.
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