I'm trying to help my grandfather plan for a remodel of his 1950s home. The original structure is 24x24' with 6" rafters spaced about 20" apart on a 6/12 roof. He'd like to be able to have a "vaulted look" by adding rafter ties, removing the ceiling joists and drywalling the rafters - leaving the ties exposed as faux beams. The current ceiling joists are 6" and follow the rafter spacing. There is an overlap in the middle of about 4' and a wall running perpendicular to the joists that I'm assuming helps support the joists at that break. The home is located in SE Georgia, so no snow load to speak of.
- Would it be possible to raise the ties up so that he could use a single 20' board for the full span?
- Would it be possible to skip every other rafter?
- Would doubling the ties on either side of the rafter help alleviate lateral force (see picture)?
This is well outside of my wheelhouse, so any insight is greatly appreciated!