Broken Rafter In Attic

Overview from time to time an attic rafter will split along a knot typically after having a new roof installed because of the workers walking around on it.

Broken rafter in attic.

This board is a section of lumber that is the same thickness as the rafter and 2 feet longer on each side of the damaged section. Locate the split rafter. Repairing this is called scabbing. If the rafter is completely exposed you re in luck.

Rafters can also be damaged by a blow to the roof from falling branches. Add a 2nd rafter to the damaged one the rafter with the same size piece of lumber. You actually don t have to remove the broken rafter you can put the new one in right next to it. Beams sadly are a different story.

But i should know tomorrow. Obviously this is not a good situation as it can cause the entire roof to fail if not addressed. I let him empty the attic because he could sit on the side of the entrance pull the stuff to him and toss it down. Measure the length of the split and multiply this measurement by three to determine the length of the metal angle you will need to fix the rafter.

Fixing a cracked or split rafter in your attic ensures that the roof will receive the necessary support. Some say you only have to patch the damaged area going a few few beyond the crack on either end but if you can sister the whole thing and you wont need to worry about future potential cracks.