Roofing Stuff

hartytkd

Hi all,

I have a bit of a problem with the edge of the roof in my house - I think it's called the soffitts - basically where the horizontal timber part meets the outside masonry, there's a fair sized gap that's opened up. The house is about 30 years old and is a bungalow type. I guess over time the timber has just shrunk/warped and formed a gap. This is causing problems such as draughts in the attic and various forms of wildlife (like wasps) living in the attic space that's not terrible appealing.:eek:

What I'd like some advice on is whether I need to have the current soffits & bargeboards completely replaced or would a quick repair do the job (say use a bit of sealer the whole way around). Would a replacement job be a big one?

Cheers
Gavin.

boo boo

gotta be a replacement job. pvc cheaper than timber.

rooferPete

Hi,

First I would find out why a "Fair Sized Gap" should open up after thirty years, it may be caused by shrinkage as you say but most soffit is a seven inch board so how much shrinkage is acceptable ?

The only reasons you should have to fit pvc is if you don't want to paint the soffit or if it has started to rot at the corners.

To prevent unwanted guests you might source some fine mesh wire and fix it to the existing timber, it will also allow you to monitor the roof to make sure it's not spreading due to poor construction.

BTW most soffit is fitted before the house is plastered, if that was the case on your house it means the roof may have spread as much as 20 mm all round the house.

Very few timbers will shrink that much especially on one side, do you have a gap of equal size where the soffit meets the facia board ?.

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hartytkd

Rooferpete,

I didn't think of the roof having moved. Actually, I remember a few years ago (it is my old family house) we could see evidence of sagging in the roof and we got a friend of the family to put in a few extra props on some of the timbers. It seemed to halt the sagging at the time. He actually did comment on the crappy timber we have up there (he put in much thicker sections that the existing ones).

So perhaps the sagging did it - it wasn't just sagging but actually the apex seemed to drop maybe a few inches on one side - as you look at the house at the front it is noticeable. I guess the soffit/fascia is nailed to the rafters, so if the rafters move.. they will move too. Also, some of the roofing tiles are lifted off one edge (very slightly) in a couple of places which would suggest movement.

As far as the gap goes, there's no gap in between the soffit and the outer fascia - that seems to be stuck together ok. It's just on the masonry side. I can see a fair bit of daylight from the loft in some places!

There is a bit of rot in the fascia at the ends where it meets the gables (and is most exposed to the weather). This is the main reason I was thinking about getting some work done, before the rafters start to rot on the gables!

What amount of settling is acceptable after 30 years?

Cheers
Gavin.

rooferPete

Hi Gavin,

Based on your post I would recommend that you employ the services of a professional, you already know the original timbers are of poor quality, the sagging in the ridge is very visible and despite repairs having been carried out the soffitt has shifted further, that is presuming it was repaired at the time when the roof was braced.

It takes a fair amount of movement for the tiles to kick up as you described, perhaps a lighter roof covering would help when the structurre is corrected.

The amount of movement to be expected in a thirty year old cut roof should be barely noticeable if at all.

I have worked on roofs 200 years old where the only distortion visible was where the rafters are trimmed at the chimney and all that does is show a slight bump because the rafters are usually shorter and supported by the solid chimney preventing any natural movement.

For what it's worth my advice is do not add any weight to the roof structure, not even a pvc soffitt.

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hartytkd

RooferPete,

Thanks for the advice, professional help would seem to be needed!

One other thing though - I can see how if the tiles and ridge could have moved or settled but how would the eaves move outwards if the ends of the rafters are attached to the wall plate? Does that mean the rafters could be somehow coming away from the wall plate? :eek:

Thanks for your help,
Gavin

rooferPete

Hi Gavin,

It could be a few things, lets start at nails rusted through, kind of unlikely but nothing surprises me, I would be more inclined to go for either badly fitted or no collar ties in the roof.

Maybe Kadman would like to practice a little and put a sketch together for you

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hartytkd

Cheers, thanks for the help RooferPete.
I'll be doing a good look around this weekend up in the loft and at the eaves to see what I can see!