I have modern roof trusses in my attic. There are pieces of wood joining them can the wood be removed ?
Question:The house is in the uk . (built 10 years ago )so the roof is made of the modern style trusses . W sort of shape supporting the roof . these are 70mm by 35mm thick supporting the roof wood (90x35)mm.
All these trusses have been joined by straps of wood nailed to them 2 diagonally across and two horizontally.they look like temporary pieces just put in to support the trusses during construction and I would like to remove them so put I can put plasterboard onto the roof . Is it possible to remove them or will it make the roof unstable ?
Thanks for anyone who knows the answer to this .
Answers:
DO NOT REMOVE AT ANY COST, ignore the fools who tell you you can remove them, yes in the Early '70s when we put up roof trusses we used small amounts of timber to brace the trusses to hold them in place until the tile battens were fixed, these timbers were often left in.
It was thought the tile battens would be enough support for the roof at this time.
In the late '70s a large amount of roofs started to twist and push the end gables out, some actually collapsing.
Building regs called for all truss roofs to be braced with horizontal and lateral braces (100mm x 25mm ) and to be fixed to the gable walls with galvanised angle brackets.
If you do not have these braces in your roof, when you come to sell some surveyors insist they are put in.
So in short, any braces that are fixed between one wall and another or from the ridge (top of roof) across the trusses to the wall plate (lower level) should not be removed without the advice of a "STRUCTURAL ENGINEER".
ultimately this would void your buildings insurance if they were tampered with and anything happened to your roof.
any small pieces of wood spanning just a few trusses could possibly be removed, but be careful.
theyre there for a reason,,,to stop the roff sagging under the weight of the tiles etc. i'd see a structural engineer before you wake up to the ceiling on your lap... and a very unhappy wife who no doubt told you so...
Best not to remove them, I read a story where some guy done this and ended up weakening his roof endangering his family.
If they don't span more than a three trusses, they are very likely used to hold the trusses in place while applying the sheathing and can be removed. If they are long and run between structural points, maybe between two beams, they are likely structural stiffeners and should not be removed.
I wouldn't. I'd ask a builder. A good one. In fact I'd ask a few.
One would assume that if they had been simply to support the roof during construction, they would have been removed once the structure had been completed so as not to leave it looking like a half-done job, i would imagine they are part of the roof support, however it's hard to know with some of the cowboy builders you get these days, they never seem quite as attentive as plasterers lol. I'm about 80% sure they'd be part of the frame's support though.
This is 'cross-bracing', it helps to stop your roof trusses from folding like a pack of cards in high winds. Remove them at your peril, a surveyor will pick this up when you come to sell, if your roof doesn't collapse in on itself in the mean-time. If you want to re-design your loft space, get a carpenter in to do it, they know what they are doing and can re-strengthen the roof in such a way that the bis that you don't want CAN safely be removed.
Okay. I asked a professional about your question and He says that the trusses are capable of supporting the roof and doesn't need the wood pieces, they were installed to help give support until everything was in place and fastened. It would be a good idea to have someone take a look and make sure everything is fastened and installed correctly before removing them.
Most roof trusses require strapping or 2x4 bracing for strength and are not meant to be removed. Removing them can void warranty and might effect any insurance claim if you have a problem. Leave them in place
You can reconfigure them to give you space, but you can't just remove them. They were built with excessive support so they could be transported.
You will need to keep triangular patterns so they won't collapse.
You really should have a builder do this because it isn't arbitrary...but it can be done.
No-No-No! Your roof is designed for slight movements. Any alterations to the trusses will affect the whole house. If an alteration is to be considered-it must be anilyzed and engineered by a Master builder. The complicated formulas that resulted in your trusses are the bare minimum for the job they do. Any cutting will result in failures of massive proportions without prerequisite engineering.
DONT REMOVE THEM They are for lateral bracing and prevent the roof structure from twisting. Remove them and the roof could twist off in a high wind.
Get a builder in to discuss this. Putting plasterboard on the underside could give you severe condensation problems in your roof.
Good luck.
The Plywood that was used to sheet your roof will hold your trusses in place now. Those pieces of wood were used during construction to hold the trusses. Must have had a lazy framing contractor to not remove them. I'm surprised the inspector didn't call him on that.
If they are at about a 45degree from the ridge to the ceiling joists on gable ends of your roof, leave them alone. This is only on a gable roof. If you have a hip roof. You can take them out. Hope this helps.
No DO NOT remove them. They are a part of the roof truss they are engineered to take specific loads and if you remove them the roof will sag or collapse.
Yes you can remove them they were put there when they set the trusses to keep the spacing correct and to support them until the roof sheeting is put on. Most contractors take them off while they are sheeting so they can adjust the trusses while sheeting they must have done a good job lining them up the first time. Your roof is not going to collapse from taking off a couple of lateral braces. If its a gable roof there will be one on each end gable those are for wind and are code required.
do not remove
danger of roof caving in on your head.
i would get a professional in to check you never know as just one of them may be doing just what you said supporting the roof!!!!!!!!!!...
what ever you do you must not remove or adjust these braces...nor must you cut or alter any of the trusses..these are engineered items and must never be altered ...as a builder i have seen the results of brace removal and its not good .just remember ..your house is your most expensive posession ..take care of it !
no dont touch them. my daughter had her roof altered by the last owner now she has a huge bill for thousands to get it put right as the roof is sagging
no
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