Collars in hipped roof?

[phatboy]

Hi all,

I am wanting to understand the construction of my roof, and also see if what I think are collars are in fact collars.

The roof is hipped, with a small ridge on the longer sides. At wall level, the front-back is 8m, and left-right is 10m

There are 2 beams around half way up the roof height, on the shorter span, that seem to be collars. There is no equivalent on the longer span.

These beams are 4x2", and nailed in at the ends. They easily flex back and forth over their span.

Is it likely they are collars? There are a couple of vertical supports down to the ceilings near the middle, but I think these were to help support a loft tank that once stood there.

I'd like to remove the collars, but am not sure if they are actually collars and so load bearing.

Sorry for the long post, I'll add some photos later!

 

[^woody^]

Very likely collars

 

[phatboy]

Very likely collars

Thanks. Is it usual for them to only be installed in 1 direction, and not also on the opposing direction?

The roof was constructed in 1959, so maybe to 'old' standards.

I'll get some photos....

 

[^woody^]

Same direction as the ceiling joists

 

[phatboy]

Photos for completeness, but @^woody^ has answered the question, the collars are indeed in the same direction as (the majority of) the ceiling joists.

Photo distortion is due to it being a panoramic.

They are approx. halfway up the roof structure, where as I read they should be within the bottom third?

Annoying, as I could have shifted them to below the new loft floor (Raised using StoreFloor) a few weeks back!

 

[Leofric]

You can't just remove any components from a roof structure

 

[phatboy]

I am wanting to understand the construction of my roof, and also see if what I think are collars are in fact collars.

I'd like to remove the collars, but am not sure if they are actually collars and so load bearing.

You can't just remove any components from a roof structure

I think it's fairly clear that I didn't intend to 'just remove' them, I wrote a full and hopefully detailed post, with photo's and what I saw and understood.

I did notice last night though, there were 3 of these collars, and one has been removed at some point in the past. It was sawn out and the bits at the end left in place, presumably because the nails are massive and bent over where they come out.

 

[Leofric]

I think it's fairly clear that I didn't intend to 'just remove' them, I wrote a full and hopefully detailed post, with photo's and what I saw and understood.

Sorry, I must have misunderstood :-
' I'd like to remove the collars, but am not sure if they are actually collars and so load bearing.'
ps what did you think the timbers might be for , builders don't usually put things in for fun

 

[Leofric]

I did notice last night though, there were 3 of these collars, and one has been removed at some point in the past. It was sawn out and the bits at the end left in place, presumably because the nails are massive and bent over where they come out.

Maybe you should consider reinstalling a timber to replace the 'collar' that was sawn off ,the structural integrity of the roof might have been compromised.
The previous owner shouldn't have just removed timbers from the roof structure.

 

[phatboy]

Sorry, I must have misunderstood :-
' I'd like to remove the collars, but am not sure if they are actually collars and so load bearing.'
ps what did you think the timbers might be for , builders don't usually put things in for fun

Yes I would have liked to remove them, however I'd think my concern about whether they were load bearing, or carrying load, would mean I wasn't going to just plough on and do it (I'd not have even asked here if I was1).

I've seen timbers put into things before to stabilise things during construction, which are not required once everything has been fully assembled. And as they are so small and wobbly, I was unsure if they would be capable of supporting anything really....

 

[^woody^]

Those collars are in compression and assisting the purlins in preventing the rafters deflecting. Then the ceiling joists are preventing the rafters spreading at the eaves. The collars and rafters are working together, so removing one could impact on the function of the other.