House Without Attic Rafting Bracing

One way is by working within the home s existing footprint and converting the attic into living space.

House without attic rafting bracing.

Because this is an old fashioned construction style sometimes homebuyers that see purlins in the attic think that the bracing has been added as a repair because the rafters were sagging or due to some other structural problem. In fact as soon as there was any shift in the roof it would come tumbling down. With full home additions costing 75 000 minimum and usually far higher many homeowners search for creative ways to increase living space without overly decreasing their bank account. Homeowners cannot take chances with the structural integrity of their roofs.

Use 1 by 4 inch boards called purlins as temporary braces for rafter trusses. Brace other rafters as they are installed down the roof by nailing temporary 2 by 4 supports to rafter edges and to roof joists if rafters are being installed separately. Here is a section of the attic with no collar ties or attic bracing. Without a roof rafter brace in place you would not be able to support a heavier roof for a long period of time.

In this picture a broken rafter is visible due to no attic bracing. In fact as soon as there was any shift in the roof it would come tumbling down. Prevent this unfortunate series of events by bracing your rafters to make them sturdy and resistant to snow loads and wind. When sagging gets too severe it can lead to roof collapse and once the roof goes the house won t last for long.

But if the purlins appear to be the same age as the rafters and professionally installed it s just because that. When trusses aren t on a 24 layout you can easily adjust a wood strip unlike metal braces. It has no attic bracing and there is visible sag in all of the rafters. Over a long span room area not having anything to brace the roof off of a floating beam can be added above the ceiling joists to brace off of.

Nail these temporarily to the outside edges of the rafter sides starting with the third truss. Gable bracing gable ends need multiple braces to hold them in place. When ever beams are added and are bearing on a wall solid 2 x 4 s should be filled in under the beam in the wall frame to match the width of that beam. How to brace rafters in an attic.

At the time this home was built in the 50 s the type of attic bracing that was installed was at the discretion of the builders. Sagging rafters are a sign that a house is in serious trouble.