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davidstembridge

Supports for sagging roof?

11 years ago

We have a sagging roof on the back side of our home. It has rubber roofing due to pitch. The ceiling joists are sagging near the vent stack. See above roof photo.

I was wondering if anyone` had any advise on bracing the areas that are sagging. I can fit a floor jack in there, and raise up the sagging area. The method used in the photo below appears to be a 2x4 with a 1x4 connecting several floor joists. This was done long ago and this is the other side, and not sagging. I have plenty of 2x4s! Just need some advise on the best way to support once I lift it beck where it should be with a jack.

Its pretty tight up there, maybe about 1 to 1 & ½' where the vertical boards are.

Comments (19)

  • 11 years ago

    Why are they sagging? is the plywood or the joists rotten?

  • 11 years ago

    The plywood on that side appeared to never have been properly supported. It was originally a back porch.

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    The whole addition needs to be removed and then built properly. It needs a shed roof, joined higher up on the main house to increase the pitch. Plus, the rest of it is probably as poor quality of construction as the roof.

  • 11 years ago

    Yeah, agreed; but not possible.

  • 11 years ago

    Rebuilding so that you have a roof that won't leak and damage your home, as well as so you can use low cost roofing materials instead of expensive epdm will actually save you money in the long term. There's a difference between cost and expense.

  • PRO
    11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    If you could open up one end and slide in a mid-span beam that had been specified for the load, plus the extra weight of jacking into place, you'd stand a chance of salvaging what you have if you could get the point loads to ground adequately. If you did it yourself (excepting the engineering part) it would be less painful that the tear-off.
    You're between a rock and a hard place on this one.
    Casey

  • 11 years ago

    The joists may be adequate, I can't see them well enough to say, but the rafters appear to be made with undersized scrap-grade pieces as a temporary roof until a proper one could be built but was never done I don't think any mid-span supports can do the job.

    JM$.02W

  • 11 years ago

    Thanks Casey/Randy, A friend suggested using a couple 2x6 boards, elbowing them together longways and nailing the long reinforced 2x6 to the joists, and creating supports for the rafters off of that.

  • PRO
    11 years ago

    Sophie is correct. It needs to be rebuilt properly. We can see the slope isn't enough to support a shingled roof and isn't stiff enough to support a flat roof. You're out of options. Its time to rebuild.

  • 11 years ago

    This is a house in my area with a tighter pitch than mine, they used metal roofing. I had actually thought about this.


    This was during construction:



  • 11 years ago

    What a horrible example of roofing that is. Not to mention the building "design" and construction as well. It's gonna leak. Count on it. Both roofs shown need to be rebuilt.

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I live in MS and thought I had seen plenty of kludged together country hilbillyisms, but sheesh. OMG

  • PRO
    11 years ago

    2x4s as roof rafters and on the flat to boot. Whew.

    Depending on the span, I'm with Casey. A do-over may be more cost effective.

  • 11 years ago

    Those are 2x6 rafters. I sure appreciate all the great advise from everyone!

  • PRO
    11 years ago

    "Those are 2x6 rafters." That's what I get for trying to diagnose through pictures. :)

  • 11 years ago

    Honestly, it wasn't the greatest photo!

  • 11 years ago

    This is roughly what I am doing MongoCT Very clear, I appreciate it. It's heart pine underneath, so not as noticeable.

  • 11 years ago

    hey now my rafters are 2x4's! seriously full 2x4's
    not any of those new 1.5x3.5's! LOL!

    no comment on the roof repair (replacement)
    but man...you need some insulation in the attic
    when you are done.

    best of luck.