I bought this house 3 years ago. I don’t know if this damage is recent or the home inspector missed it. A huge nail penetrates the truss and causing the gap to be widely open. How do i fix the fracture? If I hire someone to fix it, should I call a roofing company? How much does it cost normally?
-
@isherwood it's not about the gap. Don't you see the truss is fractured and wide-opened?– RongeegeeCommented Jul 11 at 14:42
-
@isherwood it's not the gap that's concerning me. it's the fracture. My house is 90 years old, if the gap caused a problem, it would've destroy my roof.– RongeegeeCommented Jul 11 at 14:45
-
@isherwood that question is about a gap that hasn't caused a problem. Mind already has a problem. The rafter already fractured– RongeegeeCommented Jul 11 at 14:52
-
It looks like someone has been there before you, the second image shows a board nailed into the rafter to support it. That might be why the inspector felt fine with OKing that split.– ratchet freakCommented Jul 11 at 15:18
-
@ratchetfreak if someone has been there, it look like the fix has failed. A new crack is forming on the first picture.– RongeegeeCommented Jul 11 at 18:56
2 Answers
While the symptoms of your situation appear different, your issue is the same as in Do I need to address a gap between rafter and ridge board? You would want to reinforce the rafter end so it's better supported by the ridge board and opposing rafter.
Jack the rafter up in line with the rest of them. Place a heavy timber across multiple ceiling joists so you don't overstress just one of them. You can probably do this by simply driving a leg under the rafter. You don't necessarily need an actual jack, and using one might be challenging in an attic. Because the roof deck has been sagged for some time, you may not be able to get it perfectly flat without making crunchy sounds. Find a good compromise.
Add a scab. It should be at least 36" long and fastened well with 3" nails or 2½" construction screws, and optionally construction adhesive. Use the "plumb cut" edge of your square for the top cut, according to your roof pitch. The bottom cut can simply be square.
If this strikes you as an overwhelming prospect, you'd hire a carpenter. Most roofers don't do framing (or don't have the knowledge to do it well). The biggest danger in the project is you injuring yourself or falling through your ceiling. You aren't going to hurt your house.
-
I don't know how long it's been like this? If I Jack the rafter up, will it possibly fracture the roof or the shingles since the roof has been in this shape for a while? Commented Jul 11 at 14:59
-
Go easy. Watch and listen. There isn't much concern, really, unless you go nuts. The shingles will be fine. Mostly you don't want to pull decking loose from adjacent rafters. Commented Jul 11 at 15:00
-
-
I have no idea what your skills, agility, tools and motivation are. Don't ask randos on the internet something like that. :) Commented Jul 11 at 15:02
-
1Look at the dust inside the split; it has been like that for a long time. Commented Jul 11 at 15:37
I would install a tie plate to one side and sister the other side. I am going to make this answer that short because your rafter distances seem quite short and literally you could do nothing and your roof would be fine 99.9% of the time.