What is Look Out Rafters?
Definition of Look out Rafters in Construction
The rafter is the principal member that supports the roof, and are usually installed at 16″ or 24″ on center, depending upon the design.
The look-out rafter is the extension of the tail of the rafter ( the piece that sits on the exterior wall ), out beyond the face of the exterior wall. In the bungalow style home, the look-out rafter is a principal design element and are normally decorated to pronounce their appearance. Look-out rafters are in many forms of architecture, substantial design elements, and can be as elegant or as simple as the architect determines. The use of the lookout rafter has diminished in residential construction due to the labor intensive requirements of properly constructing the lookout rafter. In addition the maintenance of this type of decorative presentation is in most cases quite extensive and costly.