What are your thoughts on the framing portion of this attic? Realtor said the engineer says everything is fine. I don’t see many 1x4 purlins above the rafters, so I’m not sure how it really plays into everything. Architectural shingle roofing. This is installed over an existing flat roof.
My concerns were:
Purlins (strongback) are undersized compared to the rafters they support.
Purlins are installed in the bottom half of the rafter, reducing their structural effectiveness.
Purlin support struts may not be positioned over a load-bearing point (instead, they appear to rest on the original flat roof structure, which may or may not provide adequate support).
Strut spacing exceeds 8 feet, which may compromise load distribution and increase the risk of deflection.
Collar ties are not installed.
1x4 boards are installed horizontally across rafters, with the roof decking attached to these, leaving areas of the sheathing unsupported and improperly fastened. Sheathing lacks H-clips.
This is the “engineers” letter. My favorite part is “there are no leaks in the roof which determines there are no violations.” For reference, the roofing issues noted were oversized rubber boots for the stacks (large gaps around the pipes), inverted rubber boots on several stacks, and the service mast flashing wasn’t under the shingles (upper portion)…but hey, there’s no bad leaks today so its right. Also no attic ventilation.
If the rafters are not sagging and the ceiling below is not sagging (i.e. the purlins are supported by what are now load-bearing walls), where is the problem?
I would bring all that info with me when I pay a visit to the AHJ in person!
Betcha there’s all kinds of “infractions” going on in that area the AHJ would love to know about!
I’ll agree with others, Looks to me like that is more of a Roof Covering Inspection (poorly worded, does not sound like a college boy), Not a Structural evaluation of the Roof’s Construction, hence the no leaks in the roof (kind of like when we say “On the day of the inspection”). And as far as the City Inspector…he didn’t sign off on anything. An Engineer (college boy) is is going to make sure you see the PE after his name along with Lic. #s
My concerns were stated in the first post. If they aren’t valid, I’m looking for a reason why. This is the first time I’ve seen this type of framing with the 1x4s on top so I’m looking for education on the matter. The fact they aren’t sagging today doesn’t mean anything to me, since the roof hasn’t been on long at all. My concern is further down the road after having some snow loads or extreme winds. We topped around 80mph winds last week.
Ahh. It looks to me as though the vertical spans between the 1x4s is about the same as the horizontal spans between the rafters. If the sheathing is ASA rated for those spans, presuming the nailing is adequate, then you should have no concerns.
i’d write it up to get looked at. i’ve built a few houses in my time and never seen anything like that. not that it isn’t good to go, just that i’m not gonna make that call.
