Help!
I have some remodeling experience (one comp[lete remodel and about 1/2 of a second). but I was hoping to hear from some professionals on how to tackle a broken rafter in a 40 + year old cape with a semi finished second level. The rafter in question split from the seat cut diagonally up the rafter over three foot length and has dropped the sheathing a couple of inches. Can I raise the sheathing back into place with the rest of the roof and sandwich the broken rafter with two 8″ x 8′ strips of 3/4 plywood? I would clamp, glue and nail the sandwich together every 6″ to 8″? Is this an acceptable repair for a roof that is at least an 8/12 pitch? What about building codes? Do I need to bolt it together?
Thanks a bunch for any feedback!
rodman
Replies
Hiya rodman-Welcome to Breaktime.
I'm not a "professional" but I'm bumping you question up hoping someone will chime in.
Welcome to BT!
How horrible a chore would it be to sister a new full rafter next to your busted one? That would be my first choice.
yep
just another day in paradise
I'm with Dieselpig - Lumber would be better than plywood for the repair.
Charter Member: Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.
Or he could do like a jackas s I used to work with wanted to do: Pour a concrete pier in the basement, install a lally column from the pier to the first floor, install another lally to the second floor, and jack from there to the rafter (this was a valley rafter under a slate roof) to push the sister and a flitch plate in place. I jacked it up and sistered it while he was drawing all that crap up.
Dieselpig got the right idea, sister new rafter. Make sure the broken area of the original rafter is cleaned up enough so you can push it up .Broken fibers of wood will keep you from pushing it up. You saw the broken part out with a sawzall or handsaw.Many years ago I repaired two homes with several broken rafters( hurricane knocked trees down on these roofs). I pushed the rafters up with a hydralic jack after new rafters were installed. I made a contraption that looks like the letter U that bolted on good rafters. Jacked broken rafters off this instead of ceiling joists. I was afraid of pushing joists down instead of raising rafters. Shoring floors below were out of the question. Twelve foot ceiling height, million dollar homes, wacky customers.
mike