See this enlarged picture from one of Kevin’s original pictures. This is what I’m referring to and I see way too often. The bowed gusset plate and loose teeth that is present before the top truss chord twisted and busted the splice joint loose. I don’t think this truss was actually installed at the house with this splice joint loose. Even the worst framer isn’t blind enough to let a large loose joint stand like this when built, so I believe this is something that gradually happened over time. I often see a short 2x4 scab nailed on that really doesn’t do much to reinforce the joint, a single framing nail is used to hold the members together with loose plates, or some other really inadequate reinforcement applied when framers attempt to repair loose truss joints/plates or damage during construction, or just hide it long enough from city inspectors to pass the framing inspection. Overall, I think it’s less of a manufacture/assembly issue than issues with the plate, wood, and the environment the trusses are in. Think about it, trusses are pieced together on a flat platform, gusset plates are put over joints, then comes a roller(think steamroller but much smaller and longer) runs over the plates and voila its all connected together and the truss is done. Just doesn’t make sense for the plate to bow out from the center so smoothly when run over with a roller, unless there is some other method of truss assembly I’m not aware of?? Moisture and heat makes more sense…I mean why do new construction have nail pops all the time??? Cause the house settles, wood dries and gets wet again, HVAC gets turned on and dries framing, framing gets loaded, gaps/etc between framing members get compressed/open up, and so on. Well, only difference being instead of a generally cosmetic nail pop in a drywall issue, loose truss plates is a structural issue.
