# Forum Home Renovation Roofing  Options other than using bird mouth cut

## mullfitz

I am putting up some LVL rafters (200x45) up on the roof of  a house and the plans state that I need to make a birds mouth   into them to place on the frame 
Do I have any other choices brackets etc  
Cheers

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## ringtail

Not really mate. They are dead easy to do. Dont be overwhelmed by them. You could ask the designer for an alternative ( like a wedge under the rafter - never seen it and doubt I ever will ) but if you have a half decent pitch of say, 10 degrees or more, you really should use a birdsmouth. Looks professional aswell if there is no ceiling.

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## Bloss

No real need to birdsmouth - you can use suitable wedge shaped blocking and an appropriate bracket - look through this http://www.pryda.com.au/uploads/Pryd...ber%202010.pdf you have to tie down correctly whether notched or not - notching weakens (although not enough to be of concern in this case) and is really a left over from older fixing products and methods. As ringtail says it probably looks better if it is visible, but beauty is in the eye . . . and few will notice such detail.

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## ringtail

Geez bloss, I would have thought you would encourage the old school stuff :Biggrin: . Have to go backwards to go forwards I reckon and have a appreciation of how it used to be done :Tongue:

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## chrisp

Just a comment or question - if matching the new roofing in with old roofing, there might be an advantage of using a birdsmouth to keep the finished heights the same.  I suppose there would also be other possibilities such as packing out the battens.

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## ringtail

Always a bit fiddly to get right when cutting in to a old roof. Go the flyover  :Biggrin:

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## Bloss

> Geez bloss, I would have thought you would encourage the old school stuff. Have to go backwards to go forwards I reckon and have a appreciation of how it used to be done

  yeah, but when ya realise how little time ya have then ya save whatever ya can!   :Redface:  As my Dah used to say 'no need to use a dovetail joint when a 4" nail will do . . .', but that was a bloke who said 'near enough's good enough' and meant <1/64" out of plumb on a 9 foot wall! And would say 'good enough for the bush' which meant near perfect!  :Redface:    Still miss 'im every damn day!  :Redface:

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## ringtail

I hear ya.

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