Attic Rafters That Look Charred

Should rafters this chared still be in place.

Attic rafters that look charred.

The roof rafters provide integral structural support to the roof. They left the burned rafters in place and installed new material next to the burned as you can see. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. I inspected this home last week and have a question about the fire damage.

Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be. If you re framing a gable roof on a new house or building a shed or even a doghouse with a gable roof you ll need to cut a number of roof rafters. It appears to be an old fire as the roof deck would be plywood or osb if this was less than 20 years or so i would think. Water is insulation s enemy.

New roof was done in 2004 looks as though the repairs were made in 2004. Attic rafters trusses and roof sheeting plywood osb etc often gets covered with smoke soot or the wood gets charred in a attic fire. Usually badly damaged wood or sheeting will be replaced with new wood for structural integrity. Illustration of the re sidual cross section of a charred wood member.

Owner says the fire was in the 1930s however repairs look recent. In finished space insulation is placed between the rafter boards and drywall or other material is fastened to the face. Box out light fixtures. However before you hurry into this type of do it yourself project consider a pair of critical points.

Before closing on a home the home inspector should examine the attic for structural damage damage to the trusses and rafters can indicate that the home has shifted causing. This is the first time i have ever seen a house that had burned. Other framing member may be discolored or charred a little but still be structurally sound. Before you cut your boards you ll need to measure the width of your building and calculate the exact length of each rafter.

Rafter boards are fastened to the ridge board at the peak and the top plate where they join the wall. The boards creating the slope of the roof are wider than lumber used to build trusses 2x8s 2x10s and 2x12s are most common in rafters vs. This article also discusses how fire damage and mold damage might be recognized in a. This fire damage home page provides links to in depth articles on a variety of building defects systems or components that are associated with extra risk of fire.

Im not a roofing specialist but i wou. We also discuss fire damage assessment. Seal the burned wood inside your home by refinishing it with the appropriate coatings. Charred and uncharred wood members in the building 2 fire at the forest products laboratory.

Charred wood inside a home is an eyesore and it also emits a strong odor.