Design

Application 12

Buildings with bracket-supported overhangs

Figure 22: Wall support brackets used to support an eyebrow overhang.

Figure 23: Wall support brackets used to support a roof overhang.

Figure 24: Tall walls, large regularly-spaced windows and wall brackets make buildings similar to this good post-frame candidate.

Roof overhangs and eyebrow overhangs are commonly added to buildings to improve building aesthetics and durability. They improve durability by protecting door and window openings and siding from precipitation. They also keep snow slides away from the building and limit intrusion of direct solar radiation during warm periods.

As the distance that an overhang extends from the building wall increases, it is more likely the overhang will be supported by a post (application 11, figure 20) or wall support bracket (figures 22-24). Whether post supports or wall support brackets are used is largely dependent on overhang height. Normally, post supports are used for lower overhangs because of headroom clearance issues when wall support brackets are used.

With higher overhangs, wall support brackets generally look better than posts and are normally less expensive than post supports because of the added foundation and header beams required with post supports.

Wall support brackets are the ideal overhang support system for post-frame buildings in which truss and post spacing are equal. In such buildings, posts and trusses form a series of post frames as previously described. When wall support brackets are attached to the posts and framing of the overhang, they add rigidity to each post frame. In situations where the overhang is a roof overhang, the wall support bracket attaches the end of the truss to the post, thus functioning much like an exterior knee brace.