This was a flip performed in 2021. The current owner’s inspector missed it. The new buyer’s inspector missed it. I took one look and froze. That is a 32 foot span for those keeping score. Woefully undersized ridge beam.
3 Likes
Is it? What type of beam is it? An LVL, Glulam, Steel? You’ve shown us a span, not what the beam is or the dimensions of it.
I’m not disputing what you are saying, but a span alone isn’t the only calculation. It does look not straight or something going on mid span there, but doesn’t look to be sagging, however it’s just a picture, I wasn’t there.
8 Likes
I would never put this in my report without making an observation from the attic.
15 Likes
Darren, don’t scare the client or confuse realtors.
Deflection? Signs of stress?
Attic images.
Component images, with measurements.
Shape of the roof.
From the NFCA, The ridge beam transfers the load to the posts or gable ends and is necessary when the slope is less than 3/12. The non-structural ridge board is used when the roof slope is between 3/12 and 12/12.
3 Likes
What Martin said.
4 Likes
The ridge was deflecting. We had a contractor pull off the drywall and the ridge turned out to be built-up 2x10’s with no hardware at the rafter ends, just toe nails. That is a terrible use of 2x10’s for a 32 foot long shed dormer ridge.
Also, LVL’s don’t come in 32 foot lengths. Before the drywall was pulled, I went back and did the calculations. Steel for that span would be a W12x100 minimum, and it wouldn’t deflect as much as it was. Glulam for that span would be 18x5.125.
This roof had a slope of 10:12 on one side, and <2 degrees on the dormer side.
I was right to bring it up, by the way. I’m kind of speechless that folks don’t see the issue just from the photo.
You were there is person , so it doesn’t have the same effect as a small pic online.
6 Likes
Out of curiosity, who finally found it and called you in to evaluate it?
I guess without knowing how the roof structure above is engineered, it’s hard to determine from the pic if it is an issue or not.
4 Likes
Well, I guess I will have to start pulling drywall off, so I don’t miss something like this in the future.
Keep on doing God’s work!!! The rest of us are just clueless.
12 Likes
There could be a truss beam in there?
7 Likes
Don’t see it in the picture. 32 foot span, how much deflection? Where’s the picture with the drywall removed?
6 Likes
Sharing a picture from siting down the length of the bottom of the beam would be helpful.
5 Likes
That must be new. My prior home has at least 4 of them in the structure that length. They were big ones. Did they stop making thicker ones? The Glulams were for the floor, the LVLs were on the 2nd floor and cantilever.
Heck even Lowes sells a 32 foot LVL, but it’s only 1.75 or something, not thick.
3 Likes
First thing that came to mind also, Bob.
It also could have been a flitched beam, but hard to say when you can’t see it.
No sidewalk home inspector would have called that out without invesigation of the frame work uncovered.
At the very least, they might have said overspan.
10 Likes
Interesting info Darren. Also something for us to be aware of in the future…
That photo just doesn’t show a big problem. There is no context in the photo. Maybe in your boot steps, most of us would see what you saw. But, based on the photo, I don’t see what the HIs missed. Is there major drywall cracking, displacement, obvious unacceptable deflection, something visible from the exterior?
My question also. Why were you there?
4 Likes
So what you’re saying is you couldn’t verify it was wrong until you pulled drywall down. Other than the deflection wouldn’t that be outside of your scope of an inspection?
It must look like a Japanese gazebo from the exterior. 
6 Likes