I was hoping to keep a clear span on the second floor.
Another idea I was playing with was replacing the collar ties with a more complete truss system to resist the thrust created by the roof load. I also considered just lowering the collare ties.
Another factor I need include here is that I will be putting 30,000 pounds of slate on the roof. I will check the and wind load too.
Is it your experience that building inspectors require that lumber be graded?
Thanks,
-Dave
