Hey guys! I ran into these cut supports in the attic of a townhome style condo yesterday. The wall to the right is the fire wall leading to the next unit. To the left, the trusses sit on top of the boards that are cut and actual supports below. I’ve never seen this before. Any idea why this would be like this? Nothing is wobbling or movable by hand.
Another ugly section
Not much load support there, there. If the lumber was rotated 90 degrees I could see how that lumber would support a load, to a degree.
Likely horizontal intermediate bracing for side to side actions was reestablished. Henceforth, the cut pieces of dimensional lumber.
Report what you see. 2x10 lumber laid flat between upper lower roof attic chords and ceiling joists in that space. Several flat ceiling joists have been cut across the width or face leaving a gap.
No there, there in my opinion. I suspect the lumber was used to traverse the wood timber framing as the unit was erected. The cut pieces left behind for no real ryme or reason.
Possible original construction scenario: Gable end wall was tied back to the truss structure using horizontal rat runs as pictured (now cut). Later, it was discovered the end wall was not plumb. Solution: Cut the rat runs, replumb the wall, and add new bracing from the now plumb end wall back to the trusses.
In that case, it’s not an issue at all. Rat run truss bracing is always run flat as pictured.
Never seen rat runs/rat guards laid flat. Not saying they don’t.
I refer bracing as something diagonal.
Blocking is horizontal/laterial.
Typically/usually/normally a rat run is fastened on its narrow side, the edge not the face, to a vertical member in a truss.
Way over here in the bush, just south of Thunder Bay and in the States, rat runs are also attached to the truss bottom cord, lying flat. We like to make it easier for the rats and mice by providing them with a running surface that is 89mm wide, vs 38mm, (3.5" vs 1.5"). Inspectors like the wider walking surface too! “Minnesota nice”
If you call them a “rat run,” you’ll be splayin to your client that you didn’t see any rats.
Interesting proposition, Lon.
Referring a structural component, be it related to support or bracing, as a rodent or vermin run or walkway, even though unintentional, can be unnerving to clients and attendees.
The more to talk the deeper the rabbit hole gets.
Sir or madam; " Rats can enter homes through various routes, including cracks in foundations, as small as 1.27 cm (half an inch), gaps around doors and windows, as small as 1.27 cm (half an inch), and by climbing trees to use the branches to reach the roof top to enter the attic, or by going down a sloped roof to enter the eave though loose or cracks vented soffit, as small as 1.27 cm (half an inch) in many cases." And that was me at inspections where I did see suspect evidence of droppings, nesting, urine, feces, to live rodents.
The rabbit hole only deepens.
Those look like piggy back trusses. The flat 2x4s act as spacers and nailers for the too section.
As for the ones that are cut, I would agree with @msenty with the thought that they were cut during construction after discovery of a layout issue. As long as there’s another to replace the cut supports, there’s nothing to be concerned with.
I’d be more concerned with the sistered 2x on the bottom chord of the end truss (in the first picture) than the spacers unless it’s there just to hold spacers in place. The picture doesn’t show enough detail to tell.
If I am reading your string, and the illustration provided by you properly, the side note caption, pointing to horizontal members says, Continuous Lateral Restraint (required only if Brace Frame or Structural Sheathing is installed intermittently) to which it appears to be.
As for the architecture; it appears to be a continuous wood truss lite timber framed building if I am not mistaken.
Nope. Look at the parallel chords (yellow) and the connection point at the end (green) with no plates. It’s toe nailed.
Did the photo edit on my phone so it’s a little rough.
That graphic was just downloaded from a quick Googoo search and may not be a very good depiction (or pertinent to the design) of what’s going on in the OP’s post, and was intended to show what a piggy back truss is.
There are many different ways to assemble those truss systems and sheathing is not really typical as it adds too much $$$ to the price of the build. I see them installed without spacer/nailers quite often, those just get toenailed together, but 2x4s laid flat is very typical and quite often they are scrap pieces or boards not really suitable for framing walls.
That was my first thought. There is clearly a gap at the cut 2x4s, that gets smaller as the wall goes back. The cut 2x4s were the original truss bracing, and then they had to move that last truss over to line up with the wall that was likely framed out of square to begin with.
They moved the wall and truss, and then installed new truss bracing..
No issue
I also agree, and I bet that if the “cut” sections were trimmed back to the truss’s for a ‘clean look’, nobody would ever question the “unconnected” lateral board(s).
If the hack with the Sawzall had only made ‘two’ cuts instead of one!!
(Would have also left them with some usable lengths of scrap lumber instead of cutting up full 2"x4" 's).
