The Best Fastener to Securely Connect Trusses to Top Plate, and More

At Fas­ten­Mas­ter, we are often asked if we can make a rafter-to-top-plate or truss-to-top-plate con­nec­tion with­out using a hur­ri­cane tie, which requires ten nails for each tie. Yes, con­nect­ing truss­es to a top plate can be achieved with­out hur­ri­cane ties. In fact, with Tim­ber­LOK fas­ten­ers, it can be done with a sin­gle wood screw. 

Discover the TimberLOK 6" Fastener for Truss and Rafter Connections

In many cas­es, builders can con­nect a truss using two or three nails. How­ev­er, coun­ties with good build­ing codes, as well as con­trac­tors who take pride in mak­ing qual­i­ty homes, use hur­ri­cane ties or a sim­i­lar prod­uct to make the con­nec­tion more secure.

This is when a 6” Tim­ber­LOK screw can help. This fas­ten­er allows the builder to make a code-com­pli­ant con­nec­tion in less time. Whether secur­ing a rafter or a truss over a dou­ble top plate, between or over the studs, the Tim­ber­LOK screw will cre­ate a sol­id con­nec­tion and meet the most metic­u­lous codes.

Using a 6” Tim­ber­LOK, installers can replace the hur­ri­cane tie and ten nails with only one screw, reduc­ing instal­la­tion time to rough­ly four sec­onds. With just a stan­dard drill, the instal­la­tion of a Tim­ber­LOK screw is fast, easy, and effective.

How to Connect Truss to Top Plate: Truss Over Stud

With the Tim­ber­LOK sys­tem, the process for fix­ing a rafter or truss is much faster, and can save pre­cious time and labor on your projects, all while meet­ing the most strict build­ing codes. 

The instal­la­tion process will vary depend­ing on whether the truss­es are locat­ed over or between studs. If they are direct­ly over a stud, sim­ply place the point of the screw in the seam between the stud and the top plate. Start drilling a small amount, then drop the angle so the screw goes into the truss at a 22.5‑degree angle. (The required angle is half of 45 degrees.)

Once com­plete, Tim­ber­LOK pro­vides a firm hold that meets nation­al codes.

Connecting Trusses to Top Plate: Truss Between Studs

If the truss or rafter is between studs (in an open bay), the instal­la­tion is slight­ly dif­fer­ent. Place the screw at the under­side of the top plate point­ed direct­ly upward, start­ing about half an inch inward from the edge of the plate. Like before, start the screw into the wood, this time going direct­ly up. Then, angle the screw (pulling the drill away from the wall) so it enters the truss at 22.5 degrees.

For more infor­ma­tion on Tim­ber­LOK screws or any of our inno­v­a­tive fas­ten­ing prod­ucts, reach out to the experts at Fas­ten­Mas­ter today. You can also call our help­ful staff at 800−518−3569.