A blind valley or California Valley as it's sometimes called is ideal for situations where a new roof must tie into an existing roof. It can also be used for other things such as decorative false gables or even chimney crickets. In this type of valley the main roof is framed and sheathed as usual and the intersection of the addition roof is framed on top of the main roof. This is the most flexible valley option that Easy Rafters provides in that it can be used for intersecting roofs with unequal slopes and/or spans.

The Parts of a Blind Valley

Valley Plates
The valley plates lay flat on top of the main roof sheathing and provide a nailing base for the jack rafters and ridge board. They are designed to butt together at the peak and have a vertical bevel cut at the bottom to frame against the end rafters of the addition roof.

note: if the slope of the addition roof is shallow and the seat cut of the jack rafters is long, you may need to use very wide valley plates or insert filler strips to ensure that the jack rafters are sufficiently supported along their seat cuts.

Jack Rafters
Jack rafters have a plumb cut at the top to frame against the ridge board and a beveled seat cut at the bottom to sit on top of the valley plates.

Ridge Board
The ridge board has a plumb cut at one end that butts against the end of the addition roof ridge and has an angled cut at the top to follow the slope of the main roof. It's designed to sit on top of the valley plates at the peak, centered over the joint between them .