Raised heel truss offers energy savings

By Peter Glavin, Owner and President of Taylor Made Homes

When TaylorMade Homes decided to invest in building sustainable homes built to the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED for Homes) certification, one of the building techniques that was both easy to implement and pays dividends to consumers and the environment is a raised-heel truss. This advancement, although not sophisticated, is a testament to what we found gains most return on investment from a building perspective in building high-performance homes, and is one that offers lifetime, science-based results to consumers.

If you think about a roof and the trusses that come down at an angle from the ridge to the exterior walls, there is an air space created between the bottom cord (usually a 2X4). The rafter becomes smaller and smaller to where eventually there is no gap. If you think of a piece of pie tipped on its side, it is the tip of the pie that sits on the exterior wall, and there is no room for insulation at this point.

On this roof you have created a “cold spot” around the ceiling. By adding a heel, between the tip on every truss, it raises each truss off of the exterior wall, allowing for the full amount of insulation to be installed in the new or remodeled home. 99% of homes will not use a heel truss, and the consumer pays for the cold spot over the lifetime of living in the home. By adding a heel, and at minimal costs, substantial energy savings can be achieved.

Any truss company can raise the heel at no cost or at a minimal cost. The insulation company has likely measured the ceiling area and has already charged you for it, so there are no more costs, or again if they do charge for it, very little. The exterior walls, in effect, become up to 6 inches taller, so the builder can estimate that one extra band of siding will be required around the building. All said, for the energy-savings builder, this is a no-brainer. Little or no extra cost and immediate energy savings equals less carbon from operating the HVAC system, and you have created raised comfort levels in the home and have reduced energy requirements which equals money in the pockets of your homebuyer.

September 28th, 2007