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Roofing

Internal roof rafter repairs - building survey query

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.38 PM

Hi, I am in the process of buying a victorian terraced house and the building survey has raised an issue with the internal roof structure: "The roof inside this void was found to have a timber rafter and purlin structure. A significant number of rafters are spliced and strengthened with new timbers and new struts have been installed. There is evidence of deflection to the purlins, which indicates that the repair works may not be adequate." The survey has highlighted that roof repairs require building control approval from the local authority but there no evidence of this being acquired. How common are the repairs highlighted above for a property of this age & if we do need to get retrospective building control approval, how big a job will it be to get the repairs to a required standard e.g. whole new roof or just replacing timber/struts? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks, Sam

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3 Answers

ADR Property Maintenance

Rating: 5 out of 5
Boston
it quite common for this age of property to require a few trusses that need replaced, but there is a lot of other things that can come into play here if there is no building control involvement, have the roof tiles been changed for a heavier tile in which case the exiting roof may not be able to take the extra weight created, when was the work done , really without looking at the problem its really impossible to answer this i have had some roofs where the odd truss needed replaced and others where the whole lot needed replaced, the only people who can answer your question is building control or a structural engineer having had a look at the roof in question, if you work on the assumption that the whole roof need rebuilt anything else is a bonus or for a more accurate assessment get a structural engineering report. good luck Alex
Answered7 January 2021
10

UK Timber Solutions

Rating: 4.9 out of 5
Porthcawl
The answer given above by Alex, is 100% correct. If for example the original roof was a slate roof, and now been replaced by a concrete tile, then the wieght difference could be massive, and extra supports would need to be in place. Also older houses had their timbers set at 600mm apart, where as now we set them at 400mm apart, providing more strength and distributing the wieght of the tiled roof more evenly. It is also worth checking for any stress or cracking in the main purlins, which take the majority of the wieght. I would personally recommend you seek advise from a reputable structural engineer, before going any further. Kind regards Paul
Answered4 February 2021
0

Amvic Roofing Construction

Rating: 5 out of 5
Feltham
If a deviation has already been found and there are already repairs to the roof, it is best to call a structural engineer to make a detailed report and then you know for sure what needs to be done. The roof is an important part of a house that offers protection against the weather. If not repaired in time and properly it can cause considerable damage. Best regards George
Answered5 February 2021
0