☰ Docs

Collar Ties

Cutting and installing the five cedar 1×6 ties · Oct 2, 2026 · source: Collar_Ties.md

JCS reference: p.29, Step 8, at the top of the page above the gable-siding steps. 1×6 ties “tight to the ridge”, none on the end rafters (five pairs), “intentionally cut at a different angle than the rafters”; p.12 lists them at 48″. Ours use 7 stainless ring nails per end instead of five 6d per rafter.

Where they go

Pairs

R2–R6 only: 24″, 48″, 72″, 96″, 120″ from the south end. No ties on the end pairs.

Face

All five on the same face of their pairs (e.g. all north faces) so they read evenly.

Height

Top edge tight under the ridge, 26-3/4″ above the plate. Bottom edge ~21-1/4″ above the plate, about 8′-2-3/4″ above the floor.

Fasteners

Grip-Rite 2″ 13-ga 304 stainless ring nails, 7 per end (70 total), hand-driven, pre-drilled near the ends.
48″ bottom edgetop edge 28-1/2″, tight under the ridge7 nails per endrafter, 2×6 SYPridge 2×8: bottom 26-3/4″ above plate120″ between plate outside faces
Elevation looking along the ridge, to scale. The tie's top edge bears against the ridge's underside; its ends stay below the roof line; nails (dots) sit where the tie overlaps the rafter.

Cutting pattern

48″ bottom edge28-1/2″ top edge9-3/4″9-3/4″5-1/2″ wide cedar 1×6
Mark 48″ on the bottom edge, then 9-3/4″ in from each end on the top edge, and connect. The end cut is slightly steeper than the 6:12 rafter, so the top corner sits ~1/2″ below the rafter top and the bottom corner lands well onto the rafter face.

Assumes a 5-1/2″-wide tie, 5-1/2″-deep rafters with tops flush with the ridge top, and a 1-1/2″ ridge. Test-fit before copying.

Steps

  1. Cut one blank a little over 48″ and square both ends.
  2. Mark and cut the pattern as drawn above.
  3. Test it on R4. Clamp it to the rafter faces, top edge tight under the ridge, level and centered. Check that:
    • each top corner sits below the rafter top (target ~1/2″; never proud, or it will hold the deck up);
    • each bottom corner lands on the rafter face, not past its bottom edge;
    • it doesn't bind on an RR-R flange. Sitting over the thin steel is fine; keep nails out of the connector.
    Trim if needed. This piece is now the pattern.
  4. Trace and cut the other four from the pattern. Check each in place before nailing, since seat heights vary slightly.
  5. Pre-drill every nail hole (all 7 per end, 14 per tie) through the tie only, with a 1/16″ bit. All seven sit within a few inches of the end in thin cedar, which splits easily; don't drill into the rafter.
  6. Nail 7 per end in two staggered rows: 4 in the upper row, 3 in the lower, inside the area where tie and rafter overlap. Stay at least 1″ from the tie's end cut and edges and 3/4″ from the rafter's edges. Drive flush; don't crush the cedar.
  7. Sight down the row of five ties from one end; they should line up under the ridge.
When: after the final plumb, with the diagonal braces fastened. Before the deck is easiest.