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While much reality TV is far removed from reality these building shows reflect a much higher standard of construction than the standard of mass production you cite. I'll take a ridge pole and rafters, thank you.
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Advantages of trusses over ridge pole and rafters.
1: Trusses are more expensive than the rafter roofs for the materials, but the cost spoon switches to the advantage of the trusses, when the labor costs of construction is taken into consideration.
2: Truss roofs are stronger than rafters, and are one reason for the popularity of the open floor plans so popular today. They do not need the load bearing walls inside the home, that rafter roofs require, as they can have much bigger span capability, unsupported by walls than rafter based roofs require. Truss roofs, give much more flexibility to design the interior of the home.
The well known Bob Vila says that you strengthen your roof when you use trusses, and trusses can even stand up to hurricanes. Trusses are the only way to go today, as they are designed for the homes of today and the future. The rafter system is long behind us.
http://www.bobvila.com/articles/373-...t#.VIfnbNLF_ts
3: A home can be closed up to the weather much faster using trusses than rafters built on site. A crew can instal the trusses and cover with plywood, then a plastic membrane in as little as a day, making the building secure to the weather which can damage the inside with the time involved using rafter construction.
4: A truss roof does not require the highly trained carpenters that rafters require, and eliminate a lot of the problems that happen when a carpenter makes a mistake building a rafter roof. The truss makes a stronger roof, and ensures a perfectly uniform flat surface for the roof, which often is not true with rafter roofs.
5: There are numerous types of truss roofs.
http://www.carpentry-pro-framer.com/roof-trusses.html