Split Purlin HELP!

JSR · 17 Aug 2010

Hello all!

When venturing into my loft this weekend I find I have a quite badly split Purlin, home insurance will not cover and suggest I sue my surveyor....not much help there then.

I have little or no spare cash so all advice is appreciated, I have added pics in My album space!

I live in Eastbourne in East Sussex btw so if anyone is a roofer and can help....i know its a long shot...!

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JSR
17 Aug 2010
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JSR
17 Aug 2010
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JSR
17 Aug 2010
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Static · 17 Aug 2010

Welcome.. might be able to do remedials with a some steel angles bolted through the purlin to strengthen it at the weak spot..

ps.. there are a few of us on here from e/b

JSR · 17 Aug 2010

Well I do hope that something can be done which doesn't run into costing thousands of pounds as thats just not possible for me at the moment.

What a smal world to have other people from Eastbourne on here, thought I'd be the only one!

Deluks · 17 Aug 2010

Do you have a drill?

If so, you can splint it. Get a couple of 1m lengths of timber, the same depth as the purlin and 50mm wide. Clamp or temporarily screw 1 either side, drill through the lot every 150mm with a 12mm drill bit and pass some 12mm bolts all the way through.

Sandwich a toothed timber connector between the timbers and use square washers under the bolt head/nuts.

If you have a hacksaw, 12mm threaded rod would work out a bit cheaper than bolts.

*edit* beaten by Static. must not get distracted halfway through typing.

Forgot to ask, have you just moved in here and noticed this? If so, your surveyor wants a slap.

JSR · 17 Aug 2010

I have been in the house for approx 18 months, however its the first trip to the loft as I have only just bought a ladder (drive a small car with no room to allow one to be purchased ha ha).

However the surveyor should have seen it when the survey was performed 18 months ago!

I do have a drill but (blushes) am a REAL amateur at DIY.....i struggled to put doors on my kitchen cabinets straight (I am new to all this having rented for the first 7 years away from home, and although I am learning the roof is something which I personally wouldn't want to touch incase my fat hands ruined it!)

Static · 17 Aug 2010

This is the kinda thing i would be thinking of.. locally plane off the bottom of the split.. possition a couple of decent angles each side and with staggered holes.. then bolt through the lot..

ps.. some surveys dont even go in the lofts..

JSR · 17 Aug 2010

Lol yeah I know surveyors...I am one of the very many hated Estate Agents in this world! I had a homebuyers report done and they claim to have gone in the loft so.....anyway lets leave rants about surveyors there

Where might one go about getting one of those brackets? Also I am assuming that it'd be horrendously expensive to get a roofing company to replair the purlin? Problem is that I don;t want to be in this house forever and don;t want any form of issue with survey when selling!

ajstoneservices · 17 Aug 2010

Can you put a strut under it? it would be cheaper, easier and work.

datarebal · 18 Aug 2010

wont cost a fortune at all , fairly common a good chippie will sort it in no time.

Nige F · 18 Aug 2010

datarebal said:
wont cost a fortune at all , fairly common a good chippie will sort it in no time.

Very true - avoid " roofers" like the plague. I`ll bet it`s one of the hundreds of terraced houses that were done by " roofers" in the 70`s with redland tiles replacing the slates .

Happy days @ the end of Eastbourne Pier - Dixieland showbar

and Kings country club - All through the 70`s in an alcoholic haze

Yes, I know Eastbourne.

masona · 19 Aug 2010

Deluks said:
Do you have a drill?

If so, you can splint it. Get a couple of 1m lengths of timber, the same depth as the purlin and 50mm wide. Clamp or temporarily screw 1 either side, drill through the lot every 150mm with a 12mm drill bit and pass some 12mm bolts all the way through.

Sandwich a toothed timber connector between the timbers and use square washers under the bolt head/nuts.

If you have a hacksaw, 12mm threaded rod would work out a bit cheaper than bolts.

*edit* beaten by Static. must not get distracted halfway through typing.

Forgot to ask, have you just moved in here and noticed this? If so, your surveyor wants a slap.

Done it this way many times, IMO I would go 1m each side (2m length) and staggered the bolt holes

flatroofer666 · 19 Aug 2010

1/4" steel plates and coach bolts both sides of purlin extending 8-12" past damaged area will be an effective repair a lot stronger than the original timber

peterperfection · 16 Aug 2011

flatroofer666 said:
1/4" steel plates and coach bolts both sides of purlin extending 8-12" past damaged area will be an effective repair a lot stronger than the original timber

Thats good -but-Better repair is- a used steel locker - re-formed to exact dimensions --bolted through -- does the job A1 and covers 270 degrees rather than 180..

Gotta say though Bud-- you have a lot of common sense and live in real world .

diynot

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Split Purlin HELP!

flatroofer666

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