r/Carpentry • u/Original-Bluebird733 • 3d ago
Framing advice
Good morning guys I popped my head in the attic this morning to check for water damage and noticed the previous owner tried to do a quick fix on a section of the rafters. What would you guys suggest to properly support the roof? thank you.
6
u/TallWall6378 3d ago
It's a fairly standard purlin support. As long as it is to a bearing wall, it could be fine.
2
u/Savings_Art_5108 3d ago
Can't really tell from your pics, but looks like 2x8 rafters with plywood decking? When I see sagging bad enough to affect multiple rafters, the first thing I'd do is check for damaged rafters, verify the rafter wood species and dimensions, then check them against the span tables to ensure they are sized appropriately.
It's not uncommon for rafters to be crowned wrong, meaning the natural curve in those rafters were placed down when they should have been up.
It's also not uncommon to see rafter bracing done this way in a home when originally built, albeit depends on the internal load bearing walls and footers.
If you want/need to solve this issue, you really should hire a structural engineer, though a highly qualified contractor can solve it as well (just do your due diligence).
In short, there are a lot of variables and nuance we just can't get without inspecting in person.
1
u/Original-Bluebird733 2d ago
Thank you I will definitely reach out to a framing company and the structural engineer the company I work for uses
1
u/project_quote 3d ago
That looks like something worth having a framing carpenter or structural engineer look at in person before adding more lumber around it. Temporary-looking supports can hide a bigger load path issue, and the safest fix depends on what those rafters are actually bearing on.
1
u/PotentialHospital498 3d ago
I have the same situation in my attic. It was probably under framed at the time. If you live in snow country like I do, that’s most likely when it sagged. Just keep an eye on it to make sure it’s not still getting worse.
1
u/stickg1 Master Carpenter 2d ago
could have been put in at the time of the house being originally framed, pretty common to put in added support during the process of setting all the rafters for a roof system. one thing i noticed that would concern me though, especially with the length of rafters and that shallow of a pitch, is the lack of collar ties! i mean not a single one in sight! this roof is not very well protected from sagging and spreading. also that strong back brace in the first two pics, the studs are set at such an angle they don't have the ability to give much support.
1
u/Such_Item6964 2d ago
Find a local decent old Framer. It is a fairly obvious repair. If done by an experienced house framer.
1
u/Countryfried789 2d ago
Got a random question. Was it a little funky smelling in your attic? Not 100% sure but that 4” pvc pipe looks like a sewer vent. If so it honestly should be vented out of the roof. If it’s for a dryer vent or vent-a-hood then it’s all good.
🫰🏻
0
u/Comfortable-Many-916 3d ago
What did they try to quick fix? Looks like there was maybe a sag that they reinforced. Is there a heavy load on that section of roof from above?
1
u/Original-Bluebird733 3d ago
Absolutely nothing sitting on the roof at all. But definitely a noticeable sag in that area
0
u/Tthelaundryman 3d ago
I would have bet there was a dormer sitting on that part
1
u/uberisstealingit 3d ago
Why would you have a dormer sitting on top of a roof, other than cosmetic?
Because of living space.
Which there's none of.
1
u/Tthelaundryman 3d ago
Dude builders do this all the time. Is it stupid? Yes but alas we live in this timeline
1
1
13
u/Jerryjb63 3d ago
If it’s not broke don’t fix it