Tag Archives: L trim

How to Trim Where End and Side Overhangs Adjoin

Reader BILLY in WESTVILLE writes: “How do I get the f and I trim to meet from the end wall to the side wall together?”

I am going to have to put my mind reading cap on for this one, as I have little idea what you are asking.

By playing Sherlock Holmes, I will intuit this is a building with enclosed overhangs on all four sides. If so the solution is to use level returns on the sidewalls, ending the sidewall soffit at the endwall. This allows the “cap” at the endwall side of the overhang to be covered with steel sheathing as a continuation of the endwall siding.

In this case, there would be a blending of the “L” fascia trim along the sides with the “L” trim which covers the underside of the varge (or fly) rafter capping the end of the roof purlin framing.

As the fly rafter is at a slope, it will be taller than the fascia where they intersect. The top edge of the fascia should be beveled to match the roof slope, so as to not create a hump in the roof. Using a 4/12 roof slope as an example, the outside face of a 2×6 fascia board would be five inches. This calls for a 1-1/2” x 5-1/2” L trim in order to cover the soffit. With a 4/12 slope, the vertical distance across a 2×6 on the fly rafter would be 5-13/16”.

To compensate for the differences in dimensions, the bottom side of the fly rafter, where it connects to the fascia, should be trimmed off parallel to the ground.

The fascia trim should be run to the end of the fascia board. The trim which covers the lower side of the fly rafter, can be cut along the bend (it is also an L), and folded to fit the cut.

This happens to be one of the tricks outlined extensively in the Hansen Pole Buildings Construction Manual, which is provided with every post frame building kit investment. The Manual can even be purchased at a nominal cost, which applies in full to your order of a post frame building.

One More Reason to Love DIYers

DIY – Do It Yourself.

Frankly, 99+ % of you DIYers are absolutely the greatest people on the planet. You are fun to work with, you follow directions and take pride in your own job very well done. I have serious man-crushes on many of you (I love you for your brains, not your bodies)!

Not everyone has the time or ability to do their own work. I totally “get it” as I hire work to be done for our household, as I just do not have the time to do it myself.

Here is a snippet of a recent interaction between myself and a client who has hired a builder. Builder might have missed some crucial parts of the Hansen Pole Buildings’ Construction Manual…..

“Hello Hansen Associates,

My builder is here working on the building and he tells me the L trim is short.

I am sending this email to let you know that the AL-2 , 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ L Trim order is short.  The take off list listed 6 -10′ 6″  which calculates to 63 feet.

However, the building is 34′ each side which I should have received at a minimum 68′.

enclosed overhangsThe building is 24 x 32 with 1 foot overhangs on the front, right side and rear wall, with a 4′ cantilever on the left sidewall.

Would you kindly send another piece of L trim in White ? Thank You for your assistance.”

I believe I was generally able to craft a fairly tactful response, as there really is no cause to get a client railing against a builder who may otherwise have been doing a wonderful job:

Dear Mr. Xxxxx;
If you could please have your builder confirm the trim has been used in the proper location. These trims are for the lower edge of the varge rafters. Therefore, it takes as much footage of them as you have roof steel.

2 ends X (13’8.5″ + 16’10.5″) = 61.12′ <= 63′ sent.

Our concern is perhaps the builder has inadvertently placed them somewhere we did not anticipate. Perhaps a photo or two showing where he has placed them would prove helpful.

Surprisingly enough, we received this response from our client:

You are correct the builder used the L trim as the starting strip for the roofing deck at the fascia, which he used to attach the inside closure strip under the roof panels.”

 Most interesting, there is nowhere in the 500 plus pages of the Hansen Pole Buildings installation instructions which would show this installation as done by the builder. In fact, as best as we can recall, this is the first time we have had a client (or their builder) make this error.