Welcome to my blog. My name is Deborah. About 15 years ago, I bought an old home. We worked with several contractors to rehabilitate it, but ultimately, the foundation simply wasn't stable enough, and we had to tear it down. After that, we worked with a construction crew to build a home from the ground up. The experience was exciting and challenging, and I learned a lot through that process. I want to share construction and contracting facts and information with others so I decided to start this blog. I hope that you like the results, and I thank you for reading. Enjoy!
Some homeowners do not know which sections of a house inspection report to take seriously once the home inspector has completed his or her work. This article discusses some problems that a timber truss inspection of an older home may reveal. Use this information to renegotiate the purchase terms so that you use the discount to hire certified professionals to repair the defective timber roof trusses.
Split or Cracked Truss Members
Timber truss members can crack or split as they are being transported to a construction site. Such damage should never be ignored if a pre-purchase house inspection points it out. This is because the damage may threaten the capacity of the timber trusses to transfer the weight of the roof downwards effectively. The best remedy is to ask a structural engineer to inspect the defective truss members and recommend the best way to restore their structural integrity. Failure to conduct those repairs puts the home at a risk of a structural failure should the roof be subjected to a heavy load, such as an accumulation of snow on that roof.
Missing Truss Sections
Some contractors, such as plumbers and HVAC technicians may cut some truss members in order to create space for pipes or ducts. This seemingly minor act can endanger the entire roof structure because the timber trusses may no longer be able to carry the load that they were designed to carry. You should never occupy that house until all missing truss members are replaced in accordance with the recommendations of a structural engineer.
Biological Damage
Another problem that you should watch out for in that inspection report is damage to timber trusses due to termites, dry rot or fungus attacks. Such damage may point to additional problems, such as roof leaks that resulted in the growth of fungus on the timber trusses. It may therefore be necessary to conduct further inspections, such as termite inspections, so that the primary cause of the damage to the trusses is addressed before a certified roofing contractor can repair the trusses.
Some of the defects above can be spotted as you observe the roof during a walk-through tour of the house with your real estate agent. Never be talked into disregarding any roof truss defect as minor. Only a structural engineer can make that judgment. If in doubt, consult a timber truss professional for advice before you purchase a home that has been found to have the defects discussed above.
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