How to Repair Broken Rafters
Over time, broken or cracked roof rafters can appear when wood gets old and dry. Rafters can also be damaged by a blow to the roof from falling branches. Although the rafter must be replaced if it is completely broken, smaller areas of damage can be repaired through the application of a scab board.
This board is a section of lumber that is the same thickness as the rafter, and 2 feet longer on each side of the damaged section. A scab board installed on each side of the damaged rafter is preferable to a board on just one side.
Things You Will Need
- Tape measure
- Carpenter's pencil
- Set square
- Hardwood lumber
- Medium sandpaper
- 12d 3-inch nails
- Hammer
Tip
For greater strength, install truss supports to the rafter on each side of the scab board area, running them down to the floor (or to a horizontal rafter support on the floor) at a perpendicular angle to the rafter. Use the same size lumber as the scab boards, and install them with the same size nails. This will help transfer some of the weight load from the broken rafter to the floor/horizontal rafter attached to the floor.
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Measure the length of the damaged area on the rafter using a tape measure. Add 4 feet to this measurement.
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Measure and mark two pieces of hardwood lumber to this length using the tape measure, a carpenter's pencil and set square. Ensure that the lumber is the same thickness as the existing rafter (usually 1-1/2 inches, which is the thickness of a standard 2-by-4, 2-by-6 or 2-by-10 plank). Cut through the lumber with a circular saw or miter saw. Remove all splinters from the sawed ends of the lumber with medium sandpaper.
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Mark each piece of the scab board on one side at its center using the pencil and set square (a 6-foot piece of lumber would be marked at 3 feet). Mark the side of the existing rafter at the center of the damaged section.
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Position one of the scab boards on one side of the rafter with the center marking on the board facing outward. Line up the board's center marking with the marking on the side of the rafter.
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Driver galvanized 12d 3-inch nails through the scab board and into the rafter with a hammer. Nail only in the 2-foot-long ends of the rafter that are not directly over the damaged section (the number of nails will be determined by the width of the scab board). Repeat the process with other scab boards.
The Drip Cap
- Over time, broken or cracked roof rafters can appear when wood gets old and dry.
- Although the rafter must be replaced if it is completely broken, smaller areas of damage can be repaired through the application of a scab board.
- Measure and mark two pieces of hardwood lumber to this length using the tape measure, a carpenter's pencil and set square.
- Position one of the scab boards on one side of the rafter with the center marking on the board facing outward.
References
Writer Bio
Steve Sloane started working as a freelance writer in 2007. He has written articles for various websites, using more than a decade of DIY experience to cover mostly construction-related topics. He also writes movie reviews for Inland SoCal. Sloane holds a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and film theory from the University of California, Riverside.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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