# New construction - warped wood



## NewOwner32 (Jul 10, 2012)

We've just had a new home built and discovered warped beams of wood in the attic. These beams run perpendicular to the floor and are connected to the sloping roof beams along both sides of the attic.

Instead of replacing the wood - or even explaining why the beams are warped - our builder cut 2x4's and wedged the pieces between the warped beams. In the process, some of the beams split near the bottom. Plus, the 2x4's aren't even flush with the beams.

The builder insists there will be no structural issues, but an independent inspector we hired (who pointed out the warped beams in the first place) said the roof may not be able to support a heavy snowfall because of the warped wood.

Who's right? Anyone else hear of this before?


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

This is one odd looking new construction roof. First, what you’re calling a beam is a stud to a purlin wall and an oddly constructed one at that. It looks like the studs were “short nailed” at the bottom which is why there twisting. Replacing #18 or any others is easy enough.

I’m more concerned with what I circled, it looks like a seat cut in the rafter where there shouldn’t be one, a major mistake and a guaranteed failure point. You’re inspector didn’t say anything about that, or am I just seeing things?


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

Good eye Ron:thumbsup: and good question too!


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## NewOwner32 (Jul 10, 2012)

Thanks for taking a look at the pictures.

The house is a modular home that was built off-site. The roof was laying flat when the home was shipped and lifted (on a hinge?) after the house was in place. I'll have to take a closer look the next time I'm in the house, but I think those cuts you circled may have something to do with the hinge system. Either way, the inspector never brought it up.

As for being "short nailed," are you saying that if the studs were longer - and tightly secured between the floor and the wall - the wood wouldn't have twisted? 

Any idea what would have caused the wood to twist? The roof has been in place for approximately five months. I can't say for sure that the wood wasn't always bent, however.

Thanks!


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Scary...cutting into beams like that and nailing them together.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

NewOwner32 said:


> Thanks for taking a look at the pictures.
> 
> The house is a modular home that was built off-site. The roof was laying flat when the home was shipped and lifted (on a hinge?) after the house was in place. I'll have to take a closer look the next time I'm in the house, but I think those cuts you circled may have something to do with the hinge system. Either way, the inspector never brought it up.
> 
> ...


By “short nailed” I mean not enough nails. For example if the bottom of #18 was nailed properly it would not have been able to move (twist) like that.

Those notches still concern me, maybe if you get back up there you can take a closer picture of one of them and measure how much “meat” of the rafter was left after they cut the notch.


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## drtbk4ever (Dec 29, 2008)

Wow Kwik, good eyes.

Guys, are these pre-engineered trusses? It looks like that stud wall was added after the fact. I would expect that if that wall was load bearing, it would have been factored (and built) into the truss system.

I think this photo better shows what Kwik was talking about.


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## Duckweather (Mar 26, 2012)

I worked at a modular house company and they build their trusses on site, (engineered), with a wall like that in the middle of each "box". It was only supposed to hold up the roof until it was unfolded and completely assembled. They were usually taken out but sometimes overlooked. They were mostly made of utility grade lumber and may have been twisted before they went in. You can contact the manufacturer and they can probably tell you what they are. If they are temporary, maybe not but, you could take them out. They make good kindling wood. If they are a support then for looks some, (or all and a top plate added), should be replaced.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Well that’s all great but it doesn’t explain the floating seat cuts.

I assume the gang nails above them are an engineered fix but why are they there in the first place.


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## 747 (Feb 11, 2005)

Need to ask the one guy. I don't remember his username. He was on contractor talk. He was a expert on modular builds.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

kwikfishron said:


> Well that’s all great but it doesn’t explain the floating seat cuts.
> 
> I assume the gang nails above them are an engineered fix but why are they there in the first place.


Those cuts, are so that the roof lays flat over that 1 1/2 pipe running along the wall in the back, while the transport the structure over the road.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

On the modulers I've worked on what your looking at is gussets not cuts.


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## Duckweather (Mar 26, 2012)

joecaption said:


> On the modulers I've worked on what your looking at is gussets not cuts.


You may be right on Joe. If you take a good look at them they may even be the hinges the roof pivots up on.


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## mae-ling (Dec 9, 2011)

Not sure about replacing the twisted 'studs' looks like they are part of the overall truss system. They have metal plates holding them on at the top.


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## Duckweather (Mar 26, 2012)

You never can tell with modular companies. They don't use hammers very often. I think they would install windows and cabinets with gang nail plates if it was faster.


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## sixeightten (Feb 10, 2009)

We had some trusses one time that had a hinged gusset near the top. It was basically a half truss and you swung that top member up to meet the top member from the other side. They have to be cut like that to allow them to swing up without binding.


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## NewOwner32 (Jul 10, 2012)

kwikfishron said:


> Those notches still concern me, maybe if you get back up there you can take a closer picture of one of them and measure how much “meat” of the rafter was left after they cut the notch.


Here's a closer look.

Thanks again, everyone, for all your advice!


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Thanks for posting that 32. 

I have to say I’ve never seen anything quite like that one before. I’m sure it’s all engineered and is just fine.

I see now that board stretchers really do exist, in the manufactured home industry anyway. :blink:

It looks like they scabbed on another piece (minus the gang nails) for the tail.

You have an awful lot of light showing through there for no bird blocks. Is there a closed vented soffit?


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