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- 30 Sep 2018
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Hi All,
Had a water tank problem and while fixing it, noticed that one of the collar ties in our loft has a proper bend in it. The house is a 1990's new build and is at the end of a row, so the roof slopes at the front, back and at one side.
Roughly half way across the loft space is a post that comes from the downstairs up, but unlike a full queen post (that's what diagrams on Google images called it anyway), which would go to the full height of the roof peak, it meets up with a collar tie to form a T shape. From the point where the post passes the ceiling joists, there are 2 diagonal beams that go out from it at an angle of about 30 degrees, that meet up with the collar tie and the rafters. The overall form is that of an inverted triangle made up of of 75mm x 50mm timber with a vertical beam bisecting it, the whole plot being held together with hammered in steel spike plates.
The two diagonals which transfer the weight of the roof to the frame of the house, are both dead straight and in line with each other, but the collar tie seems to have bent to the point where the centre of it is deflected from straight by about 40-50mm. It almost looks as if the horizontal beam is too long.
What would the wise action be here? Is two inches too far deflected? If you push the collar tie in both directions, it returns to the point that it's sitting at, suggesting that it's in some kind of equilibrium state rather than fighting increasing compression. There's no visible sagging in the roof, the steel plates are all fully hammered home so I'm not expecting it to collapse at any moment but being outside of my comfort zone, I'm not sure what the next step is.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Had a water tank problem and while fixing it, noticed that one of the collar ties in our loft has a proper bend in it. The house is a 1990's new build and is at the end of a row, so the roof slopes at the front, back and at one side.
Roughly half way across the loft space is a post that comes from the downstairs up, but unlike a full queen post (that's what diagrams on Google images called it anyway), which would go to the full height of the roof peak, it meets up with a collar tie to form a T shape. From the point where the post passes the ceiling joists, there are 2 diagonal beams that go out from it at an angle of about 30 degrees, that meet up with the collar tie and the rafters. The overall form is that of an inverted triangle made up of of 75mm x 50mm timber with a vertical beam bisecting it, the whole plot being held together with hammered in steel spike plates.
The two diagonals which transfer the weight of the roof to the frame of the house, are both dead straight and in line with each other, but the collar tie seems to have bent to the point where the centre of it is deflected from straight by about 40-50mm. It almost looks as if the horizontal beam is too long.
What would the wise action be here? Is two inches too far deflected? If you push the collar tie in both directions, it returns to the point that it's sitting at, suggesting that it's in some kind of equilibrium state rather than fighting increasing compression. There's no visible sagging in the roof, the steel plates are all fully hammered home so I'm not expecting it to collapse at any moment but being outside of my comfort zone, I'm not sure what the next step is.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
