I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon need
to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it. What's the preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the wall (concrete
bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on mortar if the wall
top is level?

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* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

No mail wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon need
to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it. What's the preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the wall (concrete bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on mortar if the wall
top is level?

Hmm, after some more reading I'm tempted to ditch the wall plate and use
a ledger board instead. Then either:
- the rafters would sit on the ledger (but how to stop rotation?),
- the rafters would sit on a 2x2 fixed to the bottom of the ledger and
be skew-nailed into the ledger
- cut a birds mouth that sits on the ledger, and skew nail
- fit hangers to the ledger - the pitch is only 10 degrees.

Any thoughts from those who've trod this way before?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 10/07/2025 22:55, No mail wrote:

No mail wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon
need to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it.
What's the preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the
wall (concrete bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on
mortar if the wall top is level?

Hmm, after some more reading I'm tempted to ditch the wall plate and use
a ledger board instead. Then either:
- the rafters would sit on the ledger (but how to stop rotation?),
- the rafters would sit on a 2x2 fixed to the bottom of the ledger and
be skew-nailed into the ledger
- cut a birds mouth that sits on the ledger, and skew nail
- fit hangers to the ledger - the pitch is only 10 degrees.

Any thoughts from those who've trod this way before?

A ledger board is normally used for lean-to roof with an existing wall.

Is this what you really mean?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 10/07/2025 22:03, No mail wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon need
to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it. What's the preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the wall (concrete bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on mortar if the wall
top is level?

It's normal to use straps to attach to a wall.

https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/1200mm-speed-pro-light-duty-restraint-strap-bent-at-100mm-galvanised-2-4mm-x-27-5mm

They also ensure the roof doesn't get airborne in a gale. Or if it does
it takes a few courses of brick with it.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 10/07/2025 22:55, No mail wrote:

No mail wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon need
to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it. What's the
preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the wall (concrete
bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on mortar if the wall
top is level?

Hmm, after some more reading I'm tempted to ditch the wall plate and use a ledger board instead. Then either:
- the rafters would sit on the ledger (but how to stop rotation?),
- the rafters would sit on a 2x2 fixed to the bottom of the ledger and be skew-nailed into the ledger
- cut a birds mouth that sits on the ledger, and skew nail
- fit hangers to the ledger - the pitch is only 10 degrees.

Any thoughts from those who've trod this way before?

At about 10 degrees for a garage roof, I left gaps in the top course of blocks for the rafters, and used a mortar bed to bring the top of the
rafters level with the blocks. Straps with a twist to stop the roof blowing off.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

No mail <nomail@aolbin.com> wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon need
to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it. What's the preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the wall (concrete bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on mortar if the wall
top is level?

Bed the wall plate and secure with straps

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Fredxx wrote:

On 10/07/2025 22:55, No mail wrote:

No mail wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon
need to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it.
What's the preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the
wall (concrete bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on
mortar if the wall top is level?

Hmm, after some more reading I'm tempted to ditch the wall plate and
use a ledger board instead. Then either:
- the rafters would sit on the ledger (but how to stop rotation?),
- the rafters would sit on a 2x2 fixed to the bottom of the ledger and
be skew-nailed into the ledger
- cut a birds mouth that sits on the ledger, and skew nail
- fit hangers to the ledger - the pitch is only 10 degrees.

Any thoughts from those who've trod this way before?

A ledger board is normally used for lean-to roof with an existing wall.

Is this what you really mean?

I didn't explain it well.
The shed is a lean-to against an existing wall, so there'll be a ledger
board at the top end of the rafters. I want a flat top to the framing so
the purlins will be on hangers between the rafters. The question is
about the bottom of the rafters.
I now want the top surface of the rafters to be in-line with the top of
the lower wall (so won't use a wall plate). I don't want their ends to
be in the wall, so the rafters need to be hung (or supported) below the
top of the wall. Hence the plan to use a ledger board and the questions
about how best to arrange the connection.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Nick Finnigan wrote:

On 10/07/2025 22:55, No mail wrote:

No mail wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon
need to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it.
What's the preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the
wall (concrete bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on
mortar if the wall top is level?

Hmm, after some more reading I'm tempted to ditch the wall plate and
use a ledger board instead. Then either:
- the rafters would sit on the ledger (but how to stop rotation?),
- the rafters would sit on a 2x2 fixed to the bottom of the ledger and
be skew-nailed into the ledger
- cut a birds mouth that sits on the ledger, and skew nail
- fit hangers to the ledger - the pitch is only 10 degrees.

Any thoughts from those who've trod this way before?

 At about 10 degrees for a garage roof, I left gaps in the top course
of blocks for the rafters, and used a mortar bed to bring the top of the rafters level with the blocks. Straps with a twist to stop the roof
blowing off.

Yes, that would have been simpler but I didn't want the rafter ends to
project through the wall

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Tricky Dicky wrote:

No mail <nomail@aolbin.com> wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon need
to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it. What's the
preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the wall (concrete
bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on mortar if the wall
top is level?

Bed the wall plate and secure with straps

I realise that it's conventional to bed a wall plate on mortar, but why
do it if the top of the wall is absolutely flat?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 11/07/2025 10:23, No mail wrote:

Fredxx wrote:

On 10/07/2025 22:55, No mail wrote:

No mail wrote:

I'm building a large lean-to shed with 4" blockwork walls and soon need >>>> to fit a wall plate, which will have rafters hanging off it. What's the >>>> preferred way to attach the wall plate to the top of the wall (concrete >>>> bolts, straps, or ?) and does it need to be bedded on mortar if the
wall top is level?

Hmm, after some more reading I'm tempted to ditch the wall plate and use >>> a ledger board instead. Then either:
- the rafters would sit on the ledger (but how to stop rotation?),
- the rafters would sit on a 2x2 fixed to the bottom of the ledger and
be skew-nailed into the ledger
- cut a birds mouth that sits on the ledger, and skew nail
- fit hangers to the ledger - the pitch is only 10 degrees.

Is this what you really mean?

I didn't explain it well.
The shed is a lean-to against an existing wall, so there'll be a ledger
board at the top end of the rafters. I want a flat top to the framing so
the purlins will be on hangers between the rafters. The question is about
the bottom of the rafters.
I now want the top surface of the rafters to be in-line with the top of the lower wall (so won't use a wall plate). I don't want their ends to be in
the wall, so the rafters need to be hung (or supported) below the top of
the wall. Hence the plan to use a ledger board and the questions about how best to arrange the connection.

I just would not trust a ledger board fastened to the very top of a (presumed) single skin blockwork outer wall to support a roof.

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