Looked at a home built in the 80’s today. Hip style roof with the top part flat.
All rafter cuts beared weight on the top half only. The bottoms were exposed. Ridge centers were open at the bottom half as well. No issues found. Should this be repaired?
It’s not going anywhere from what I can see. I would not mention it.
All loks good to me. They used the same(2X8?) dimentional material for the ridge board as they did for the common rafters.
Looked again at the pictures and the flat roof rafters should have hangers.
It actually looks like there is a ledger strip on the back side…not sure if it
is two ledger strips nailed together or one… need more pictures to truly determine.
Looks like there was also a leak at one time…
I would be surprised if that is a flat roof given lack of support…probably being used
as storage or the framers sheeted the area while working up there.
Thats really great help as usual. :roll:
I was on the roof. Its was flat.
Again I am with Greg at least here it would need hangers.
I have seen sometimes when it is end nailed but not for a flat roof.
If it leaked it probably did not get a proper selvage roof covering. If it is completely flat someone goofed big time in the design.
Why would something that has no load unless its from snow need hangers? We do get snow but very little. Where your at, hangers for sure.
My issues with the whole build is justifying repairs as retrofit.
Does it rain?
What is the puddle up there after a rainfall?
I would make mention to correcting the pitch on the flat roof since it is evident that a leak has occurred at one time.
Joist hangers are not needed but recommended as added security to the new roof installation or corrections.
The new roof was a year old, and since the home is 25+ years old, aged leaks are expected for flat areas. So I should advise them to rebuild the roof pitch. Yeah another good call Kevin. :roll:
When the roof is repaired you add on top to correct.It has nothing to do with the rafters! I don’t even know why I even try to help you guys as you all know what you are doing anyways.
Correction of a flat roof is done all the time with wedges and torch applied applications or Selvage roll roofing.
Sean,
You are correct. Rafter boards should sit completely against the Ridge board. I see this all the time. From what I can see in your pics, it should be okay, but I would mention in my report about the Ridge board being substandard. I would not take the liability if something were to occur. As for the flat section, ignore Kevin. They are very common in my area, and as you said, the leak is most likely from the past, and probably one of the reasons they replaced the roof last year. Did they use EPDM on the flat section, or did they use rolled asphalt or other? EPDM is the preferred covering in MN.
If it is EPDM great. Looking at the picture it does appear to have a 1/4 per foot rise. Flat roofs here also on many hip roofs.
R802.3 Framing details.
Rafters shall be framed to ridge board or to each other with a gusset plate as a tie. Ridge board shall be at least 1–inch (25.4 mm) nominal thickness and not less in depth than the cut end of the rafter. At all valleys and hips there shall be a valley or hip rafter not less than 2–inch (51 mm) nominal thickness and not less in depth than the cut end of the rafter. Hip and valley rafters shall be supported at the ridge by a brace to a bearing partition or be designed to carry and distribute the specific load at that point. Where the roof pitch is less than three units vertical in 12 units horizontal (25–percent slope), structural members that support rafters and ceiling joists, such as ridge beams, hips and valleys, shall be designed as beams.
aren’t all roofing materials spec’d to a minimum slope too provide proper drainage off of the surface material?
does any code body or industry standard even allow a flat/level roof?
for the lingo snobs among us **low slope **is a category of roof with slopes less than 3:12 (14 degrees)
The fact that a flat roof has leaked is not grounds to “re-pitch” a roof. It’s grounds to replace the flat roof system or repair the flat roof system which is leaking, that is all. If newer inspectors came away from this thread thinking they should recommend re-pitching flat roofs when they find leaks then Kevin, you’re not helping them. There is simply no way one can take Sean’s photo and determine with any degree of accuracy the pitch of that flat roof.
Love the “lingo snobs” barry. 
Wow! someone who gave me a professional response. Thanks JJ. 
Gm also did respond with some help as well.
Thats basically what I did.
Sorry I agree! I did not even look at the second picture as I did not even see the connection to your post!