- Over the years, my crew has used all lengths and diameters of lag screws—but that changed after we discovered the Simpson 1/4 by 3 inch hot-dip, galvanized, strong drive lags, which require no pilot hole and drive easily with an impact driver. Plus, the inspectors and plan checkers seem to like seeing the brand on the plans. The 1/4-inch-diameter is less likely to split a 2-by truss.
- Finding the center of a truss is critical and test holes are a necessary evil. We use landscape flags to probe pilot holes. The thin wire will prove if you have hit a truss. If you miss the truss, bend a slight angle into the wire and rotate it until the end strikes the side of the truss. Extract the wire and hold it in the same orientation as when you touched the side of the truss and it will tell you accurately where the truss edge is. If someone needs to crawl into the attic to put in blocking, wind the flag tightly around the wire and insert it into the pilot hole—it will unfurl and be easy to spot, even in the dustiest attic.
—William Miller • www.millersolar.com
