Hi guys! Encountered an unusual alteration in some trusses today and wanted to get some input as to weather or not they should be called out and to what extent. The attic had some other moisture related issues and some evidence of pest infestation but these trusses being altered with these stringers running along the underside of the sheathing were something I hadn’t seen before. Any thoughts?
In all my building career I have never come across that either.
The fact that the top chord of the truss is a 2x6 in lieu of the common 2x4 tells me that it might have been designed that way for a purpose.
I would try to get documents or drawings from the owner if he is the original owner of the dwelling.
If not document what you see.
Blocking, alone the wrong orientation, to prevent rotation. Its not the truss that has been modified. It’s stability to the truss farming that is arguable.
“Observed alterations to engineered roof trusses. Alterations appear to be field modifications performed during original construction. Recommend that the roof structure and the alterations be assessed by a licensed structural engineer.”
That’s the preferred wording for a recommendation on this. What happens after that is the engineer will do an assessment, look for a manufacturer’s stamp at the end of the truss, and call them. Highly unlikely that the original manufacturer is still in business, though, since there was a large consolidation of the industry in the 1990’s and 2000’s. If that’s the case, then the engineer will do a section strength reduction on the member, and see if there’s sufficient strength in the altered cord, and then make a recommendation for repair.