Can I change my roof timbers? (Ed.)

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I have recently boarded my attic for storage. I have these ?collare running across, which is annoying as I either have go above it or underneath it. I am still young, so I can do that but my knees will eventually give up.
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Can I move them up so that I can just walk under them?
 
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Any ideas if these can be moved up so that I can just duck under them and not going over?
 
My suggestion is add collars on every set of rafters as low as you can ( around head height)
Then take a measurement from purlin to purlin as a point of reference, then remove the first collar and monitor it.. You can always replace it if necessary.
 
My suggestion is add collars on every set of rafters as low as you can ( around head height)
Then take a measurement from purlin to purlin as a point of reference, then remove the first collar and monitor it.. You can always replace it if necessary.

Might those horizontal lengths of timber, have been put there during construction, simply to stabilise the part constructed roof timbers, and they now serve no purpose?

How well fixed are they? Just tacked, or something better?
 
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I suspect they are not doing a lot , but when you are not on site its best to be cautious!
 
I thought those were to stop a pitched roof becoming a flat roof.
 
No they are are to stop the purlins pushing inwards if you had a spine wall you could brace that down
 
I thought those were to stop a pitched roof becoming a flat roof.

No, those thick, heavy timbers resting on the walls at either end do that, with additional support from those V timbers, birds-mouthed onto the heavy timbers at the upper ends, resting at the base on a structural wall.

As I said above, I'll bet those horizontal timbers, are just tacked into place, to hold it all in place whilst construction was completed. Maybe the OP could post a photo of how the horizontal timber is attached, at each end?
 
The horizontal timbers are there to reduce the thrust on the purlin supports, when the roof inevitably 'bounces' with wind loads etc.
 
Thanks for the replies. These horizontal ties are held by two nails on each side...There are four such horizontal ties. I do not have any collar ties at all on top of the roof. The purlin is sort of resting on those horizontal ties, but I can freely move the horizontal ties underneath the purlin, so I do not think it actually provides any support.

Just feels like these are not doing anything.
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These horizontal ties are held by two nails on each side...There are four such horizontal ties. I do not have any collar ties at all on top of the roof.

Those nails will not hold much! If strength was necessary, they would have jointed the timber, maybe a butt joint. It looks as if it is only nailed there, rather than jointed - perhaps you could confirm?

The reason I've been so interested in this thread, was that my own roof is of similar construction and layout, but only included one of those horizontal timbers, with a single, well jointed heavier, timber V. Like yours, the horizontal timber was simply nailed in place, with a couple of relatively thin nails. Needing better access to the far end of the space, after thinking about it for a good few weeks, I decided it was simply there to hold things together temporarily, whilst the roof was constructed.

What I ended up doing, was adding a bit of timber at each side down from the horizontal, with a tenon joint, fixed at the bottom to the side of the V. I then added a timber to make a step, at the base of the V. My thinking was, if anything did show evidence of movement, I could simply bolt some timber to rejoin the cut pieces of horizontal, back together. That was 40 years ago, and there has been absolutely no movement.
 
Yes, just two simple, rusty nails. The V bit in the middle is much sturdier and it is most likely stopping the purlin collapsing inwards. the only function of those horizontal ties is to stop the roof lifting upwards with wind. But then I can just move it up wards and should do the same trick. Or just bolt it to the ceiling rafters. Thoughts?
 

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