did they repair the roof well? and electrical work

last year

last modified: last year

hello,

please help, looking for second opinion. had roof repaired, how did they do? you can see where the old dark wood was cut before, maybe halfway down including removing the bottom perpendicular beams, like five or six trusses in a row? thats what we had to start with. i think thats one unaltered you can sort of see in one of the pics. it looks to me like they connected new wood to the old, ran that new wood to their new squares in the middle then out to those walls on the sides. sorry if its hard to see in the photos. will this pass inspection? if not, can the old trusses be repaired better or do we have to replace them? what time and cost? will the house get tagged?

also had some electrical work done. are these wires here ok? i know some of this wasnt there before, maybe most of it. it's in front of and around the access hatch and run across the walkspace.

thanks much for your help.

Featured Answer

3onthetree

last year

Not sure what kind and for how long water damage occurred, or if the roof was partially gone. But typically, wood structural members won't fail if wet, they will dry eventually, so not sure why chords of a truss were replaced unless a tree fell through.

Typically you can use plywood as mending plates, as long as an engineeer specifies the thickness, size, and fastening. I do see some sistering of web chords too. The pictures are too unclear to make any judgments.

The electrical does have some requirements around an attic access panel. Think in terms of climbing up or down, and grabbing on to a cable or hanging something on it. So within 6' of the access is where cabling must be fastened to runners/joists/chords etc and there's some specifics so that is just a generalization.

Gas lines are commonly run inside walls, in attics, basements, and crawl spaces. They are either black iron or yellow PE pipe. A competent installer will not have leaks. I do not see any in the unclear pictures.

I do not see any plumbing.

I see ductwork (HVAC and exhaust) that may or may not be best practices, pictures are too unclear.

I do see insufficient and missing insulation.

I see a mouse trap that will not work with cables laced over it.

Typically permitting is not required for many types of repairs. Inspectors are not there to mitigate between a contractor and homeowner, they are there to just make sure everything meets a minimum level of safety, and they can miss things too.

It sounds like you are very worried about everything. Maybe hiring a home inspector (like one someone hires when they want to buy a house) to go through the attic, actually your entire house, and have them explain systems to you, how things are usually done, any problems they see, and then you can move forward.

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Comments (9)

Seabornman
last year
What caused this repair to be needed? Was there any engineering done, or did the contractor make it up? I'm assuming the latter. Do you live somewhere that insulation is not required, because there are areas with none and areas with, at best, R-11. I don't know if it's legal to run wiring all over the place on top of the trusses, but it makes it hard to insulate. Will it pass inspection? Maybe.
Web User thanked Seabornman
Web User
Original Author
last year
water damage, had to get a lot of stuff removed. no engineer, contractor got up there and put that in. do need more insulation, that had been removed due to the damage also. we don't have the best feeling about it at this point and arent sure what the best way to go forward is. should we find someone else? will there be other problems? will anyone get in trouble if an inspector or engineer comes? thank you
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millworkman
last year
" will anyone get in trouble if an inspector or engineer comes? "

Were building permits pulled?
cat_ky
last year
I would hope you got permits, and an inspector will have to come, before you can close it in. I dont like the look of all those wires running all over up there.
Web User
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
we dont have the most experience with renovating/contractors. recently found out permits were not pulled. im reading and i see one can pull permits after the fact, would that still get them or us in trouble? i see cost is a bit greater that way.

but i also found they did the new gas line in a very illegal and dangerous way, just unsleeved thru attic rather than trenched outside. house could blow up. they did the roof themselves wo an engineer and its a lot different/less than what i think was there originally. risk of collapse? stand up less to storms/tornados? it sounds like the electric isnt great, thats a potential fire isnt it? and if they do any plumbing that could be flooding and water damage right?

they're nice people but we're very concerned with quality of work and safety now, any other issues that might come up in the future. could they pay inspectors and engineers to just sign off? would we have to get our own plumber/electric etc? we've sunk some money into this already but we dont feel safe. should we continue work with these people? or is it possible to just get the money back and walk away and start with someone else? will any of this follow us?

sorry for all the questions. thanks again for the help
Web User
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
3onthetree, thanks a lot for the detailed rundown. i was informed by the gas company that running any lines in attic and walls is very illegal and they must be sleeved and sealed outside underground, to vent to the outside in the event of failure anywhere on the line. maybe strict codes here? i have come to believe permits are needed for roof repair here too.

would a home inspector report unpermitted work? we would rather not get us or anyone else in trouble if possible, we intend to rectify/permit it.
millworkman
last year
"we would rather not get us or anyone else in trouble if possible, we intend to rectify/permit it."

Apply for the permit now explaining your contractor did not get a permit. Let them come and inspect and flag what they feel needs to be repaired. Then compare your list before hiring an inspector.
Web User thanked millworkman
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
3 months ago
This is an outdated post, but if anyone comes across it as I did, you should know that if you have a broken/damaged/or separated truss or a broken cord, you must contact a licensed engineer, who will provide you with an approved repair detail.

As the electric wiring goes, wires cannot be all over the place as you see in the OP pictures; they must be secured with staples or approved ties, or approved hangers/straps. and they must be installed not more than 4 or 4.5 feet apart, and I think not more than 12" from the entry point into an electrical box, etc