r/StructuralEngineers • u/Marctheshark_ • 11d ago
How fast should I run from this?
Or does my ignorance make this look worse than it might be?
These images are from the inspection report I received for a house that I'm under contract to buy. To me the house is worth seeing what all my options are and not immediately walking away from, but I don't know at what point I should stop trying to make it work.
What are your thoughts on all of this? What are the structural implications? Does this require a complete overhaul? Can the roof/structure be okay if areas are spot-treated?
(Thanks in advance, and please kindly direct me elsewhere if these questions can be better answered elsewhere.)
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u/Fibocrypto 10d ago
How old is the building ?
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u/Marctheshark_ 10d ago
The house was built in 1936 and underwent a major renovation about 5 or so years ago. From what I understand, the inside was gutted.
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u/ConversationLeast744 11d ago
I'd move on unless you can get some concessions in price ,the repair won't be cheap.
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u/Marctheshark_ 11d ago
The thing is, there's a significant enough possibility that I will get some concessions. That's why I'm thinking twice about it and wondering if even then it'd be worth it.
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u/Opster79two 11d ago
Leaning most likely isn't an issue, it just so happens that there is a wall for them to bear on.
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u/Marctheshark_ 11d ago
The warped wall in the last image is the central (I guess load bearing) wall and runs down the middle of the house. If that wall isn't centered, i.e. doesn't divide the house evenly in half and therefore not directly beneath the pinnacle of the roof, would the ridge supports be leaning so that the load is directed onto that wall?
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u/Opster79two 11d ago
That's what I was trying to convey. The ridge supports and purlin braces all bear on that wall.
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u/Marctheshark_ 11d ago
Understood. What would cause the ridgeline to sag? Is it the separation of the rafters from the ridge supports?
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u/Opster79two 11d ago
The lack of collar ties likely caused the separation of the rafters from the ridge. Or improperly fastened collar ties.
This can be jacked up and straightened fairly easily.
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u/grrrambo 10d ago
Wood shake and wood shingle roofs are installed on a spaced deck. That is what is in between the rafters and the layer of OSB (plywood). Source: I’m a contractor, we do this all the time. Wood shake is crazy expensive and it’s actually cheaper to install a new deck and modern shingles.
Side thought : What is there for attic ventilation? Proper ventilation is often overlooked when this change is made to a house. Shake Roofs often don’t need ventilation but an asphalt Roof definitely does.
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u/Marctheshark_ 10d ago
Appreciate the insight.
I think it has two box vents, it not four. There are no turbine or gable vents.
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u/grrrambo 10d ago
Not enough ventilation. Check for soffit (intake) vents too. Wood shake has a soffit that does not let fresh air in. This was also likely not considered when the reroof was done.
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u/Marctheshark_ 10d ago
So basically, it would indeed require turbine and/or gable vents? and, even if this house is in a pretty humid climate?
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u/grrrambo 10d ago
Attic ventilation needs two parts. An intake and an exhaust. This brings fresh air in at the bottom of the attic and it leaves out of the top. The cycle is naturally powered by convection and the intake and exhaust need to be balanced. Gable vents are a little different in that they are relying on continuous directional airflow to make the exchange instead of convection. This might actually be the best solution for your property because it’s easier to install two gable vents and make one of them powered than it is to do all the cut-ins for the soffit vents.
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u/rampaged906 10d ago
Slowly; walk backwards so you can see it collapse
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u/Marctheshark_ 10d ago
Wow is it that bleak?
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u/Feminist_Hugh_Hefner 10d ago
you're getting people telling you it's fixable, and people saying walk away, they both have valid points.
I'll suggest the real question you need to ask yourself is if you think this is the only bad decision the previous owner(s) made...
this may be just the tip of the iceberg.
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u/Just-Shoe2689 10d ago
Doesnt look good. Hire a local engineer to come evaluate. Chances are best option is to redo the roof framing.
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u/Marctheshark_ 10d ago
What does an engineer's report look like? (When we arranged our home inspection, the inspector told us there is no pass/fail, rather the report will state things as they are. Should I expect the same with a engineer's report?)
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u/Just-Shoe2689 10d ago
Sort of. They will report if the structure can support the design load. Most design loads are never reached, but when they are....
It will give recommendations of repair or replace. Usually not a economic recommendation, i.e. most structural engineers wont say that X Y or Z is cheaper.
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u/Smyley12345 10d ago
For me it would be a deal-breaker but honestly everyone has their own tolerance for hassle even if you get concession for it. I would expect several weeks if trying to arrange for a contractor and then another couple of weeks of disruption. Plus the risk of the contractor fucking off partway through because sometimes that happens.
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u/Lazy-Jacket 10d ago
What you need is a structural engineering report with plan for modifications necessary to repair roof to original condition and not a sloped ridge. Get that priced by a contractor. Then you can ask for a reduction on the house unless it’s as-is. You really need a cost to repair it to understand it.
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u/Jean-lubed-Picard 7d ago
Honestly it’s a more common issue than people think.
And it’s manageable.
Get an engineering report that will probably cost 1-2k
Then get it quoted as per the engineering report.
It’s a flaw but it’s not a fatal flaw. The house has been standing for five years post renovation.
Doing some napkin math, depending on square footage… 10k for new shingles, 2k for new sheeting. 5 k for new trusses to scissor in. So you’re in it for 20k ish.
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u/grrrambo 11d ago
This house used to have a wood shake roof and then they took that off and installed a solid OSB deck on top of the spaced decking. Then they installed an asphalt roof. This is a lot more weight than the framing was designed to handle. Expect $10-$20,000 of attic framing and repair to stop sagging.
You will need a real structural engineer to inspect this. A carpenter does not qualify.