The king post is the traditional timber truss — a horizontal tie beam, two sloping top chords, and one solid center post doing the work in the middle. It's the design most people picture when they picture a timber frame, and it's the one we build most.
Every joint in it is a true mortise and tenon, cut and fitted by hand — no metal brackets, no bolts holding it together. This is joinery the way trusses have been built for thousands of years, and it's our bread and butter. We can work steel hardware into a design if it calls for it, but hand joinery is what we do.
Every truss is built here in Louisville from Douglas fir timbers we sawmill ourselves. The timbers start at 8 inches wide, and the beam height is sized to your span — wider spans step up to 10- and 12-inch beams. You pick the span and the roof pitch; pitches run from a low 4/12 up to a steep 12/12.
A pair of angled struts can be added off the king post for a more dressed-up look and extra support.
You'll see king post trusses in great rooms, entries, pavilions, barns, and anywhere a roof needs honest structure that looks as good as it works.