Where should purlin struts terminate?

[mattthew]

We've had our house for about a year now, it's old build (1920's-50's) with a hipped roof

Been trying to work out "the lay of the land" as it were as to whether any of the internal walls were loadbearing, so i took a look in the loft.

Anyways, the purlins have struts running down to the ceiling joists on everyother beam - distance between each joist is about 14 inchs (from memory) and beams are 2x4 (also from memory)

I did some googling and searching on here about struts and bearing walls etc

And, although one side of the roof's struts terminate near to the top of a wall - the other side come down onto the joists almost half way into a room underneath (span of the room is approx 14 foot)

Am i right in thinking that the wall underneath the struts is just a coincidence or is it load bearing? and if it it load bearing then why are the struts on the other side of the roof ok to come down into the middle of the ceiling of the room below?

If that wall wasnt there then the distance between the outer walls would be about 20 foot...... with the struts splitting the span up almost equally into 3 sections.......

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What is it that you are ultimately trying to achieve, a conversion?

 

[Deluks]

That's a lot more struts than would normally be used. (3 struts in total holding up our hipped, one for each face of the roof!)

Are there horizontal timbers at the base of the struts (other than the joists) making the struts 'push against' each other? I'm assuming the struts are diagonal? If not then they are 'hangers'.

 

[mattthew]

That's a lot more struts than would normally be used. (3 struts in total holding up our hipped, one for each face of the roof!)

Are there horizontal timbers at the base of the struts (other than the joists) making the struts 'push against' each other? I'm assuming the struts are diagonal? If not then they are 'hangers'.

Yep diagonal struts - there are 6 each side of the roof

They actually come down beside the joists at the base ending near to where the lathes are of the ceiling below - they go past the purlin also and end almost flush against the rafters and are nailed to both the purlin and rafters.

There is no other timbe tying the opoiste struts to each other to allow them to push against each other

The party wall doesnt support the purlins in any way shape or form - and our semi neighbour's purlins are jutting through the party wall and are nailed to ours also (i guess ours do the same)

Would photos help? - there's a lot of imsulation up there, but i can do my best if it would help

What is it that you are ultimately trying to achieve, a conversion?

No conversion - i'm just trying to understand the construction of my house.
Althought the roof structure looks similar to stuff i've seen online some things are not as i expected.
I'm also trying to ascertain whether the walls below the loft are loadbearing or not - not due to any work we are hoping to do soon, just through curiosity......

 

[Deluks]

Photos certainly would help, but ultimately unless there is a problem (sagging ceilings, extensive cracking?) then it's fine.

You say that the purlin isn't supported by the party wall, then say that it runs into the party wall. Same thing.

 

[mattthew]

Photos certainly would help, but ultimately unless there is a problem (sagging ceilings, extensive cracking?) then it's fine.

You say that the purlin isn't supported by the party wall, then say that it runs into the party wall. Same thing.

I'll sort out some photos

That wasnt very well worded by me.

What i meant was that the "party wall" doesnt actually sit flush with the roof and as such the purlins from both houses pass through where the party wall should be but are in no way sitting on or supported by the wall that is there