Roofline and Cross Section (12:12 Pitch)

Here is an example of a 12:12 pitch. It raises the height of the roof and interior ceiling significantly. It’s more difficult to build but is more aesthetically pleasing and provides more space for a sleeping loft.

As you can see the height of the space below the loft is about 80″ which allows enough head room to walk below the loft. The loft could extend to the full length of the tiny house. A trap door could be used for access or the loft could be made to be just big enough for a queen mattress (60: by 80″). The space below could be used for a tiny bathroom and kitchen. The open area could be a sitting and eating area.

Notice that I’ve drawn in an extra top plate nailed on top of the pallets. This would help tie the whole structure together better. I’ve also shown some 2x4s added to the pallets in the roof. You see 4-way pallets are notched for forklift forks. I show them in the drawing as curved cutouts in the pallet 2x4s. These cutouts weaken the pallet and if you were to use pallets in the roof you may need additional framing to make the whole thing stronger and safe.

If you have 2-way pallets. which don’t have the forklift fork cutouts, you could also consider saving them to use in the roof. If you have any normal lumber, use it in the roof. The last thing you want is for the roof to come down on you. I would not use pallets in the roof if I had normal lumber. It is just much safer.