It was cold and rainy afternoon. And, while gazing at the rain sheeting down the window, I was ruminating on my plans for the coming weekend. My quite ruminations were interrupted by the loud, sudden ringing of my desk phone. It was a call… Read More
Category Archives: Wood
What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 13)
The feature photograph was taken in an attic during a warmer month of the year. It documents the condition on the underside of the roof deck. This photograph provides valuable information regarding the scope and history of airborne moisture in the attic. From… Read More
An Oversight Makes a Rafter More Susceptible to Fracture
In the featured photograph we see where the rafter fractured at its end. This fracture was due to vertical tension in the rafter. That is, the weight of the roof framing and the snow were pushing downward along the length… Read More
What is causing the cracking in my ceiling?
We have looked at numerous single-family ranch style dwellings constructed in the 1960s where the ceiling exhibits cracking between the dining room and the living room. It’s a crack that emanates from the corner of two walls. Those of you… Read More
What Can Happen to Unbraced Wood Truss Web Members?
So, what happens when the web members of a wood truss are not braced laterally as specified by the truss manufacturer? When a wood truss is designed and constructed by a truss manufacturer, the manufacturer commonly provides drawings that show… Read More
What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 9)
What can we tell from THIS photo? The wood plates and staples indicate that these are very old field built wood trusses. The soot and char indicate that they have been exposed to a fire. The relatively clean separation between… Read More
How many layers of shingles?
How many layers of shingles can be safely supported on a wood framed residential roof? Most building codes limit the number of layers of shingles to two. As a structural engineer, I design for two, but I prefer one layer… Read More
What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 6)
During our moisture source evaluations we sometimes observe other conditions that we bring to the attention of the owner. Such is the case for this week’s topic. In the featured photo and Figure FT-1 we see a fractured web… Read More