# rafter tail repair



## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Best recommendation for rafter tail repair?

My house is what I think is called a Cape Cod design. For many years, it had no inlet vents as it had very little soffit overhang. What overhang it had was only in a couple of short lengths. These couple of places had no vent for air intake. It had 2 gable vents with 4 gables and no intake. I have noticed some very bad rafter ends. While replacing a piece of facia, I was nailing the facia with a 8d, and the top of one rafter broke. I first saw this happen when the roofer nailed a piece of decking on the end of the roof with a nail gun. I was using a hammer when I broke the one I referred to. I assume this the result of little to no ventilation of the roof.

Should I just sister onto the rafters? Triangular plywood where the rafter meets the top seal?


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

sister pieces onto the rafters and nail to the sisters.

got pictures?


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

I may try to gety some pics today.

I may do the Holmes thing on this and use gal screws. This wood seems to take a 16d so far then it is like steel. Very hard to remove the nail.

Thanks for the reply.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Cut shorts sisters, a bit of PL and some screws will work fine.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Thats what I thought too. Now its got me to thinking I need to check others out that are covered.

A few days ago, my wife and I heard a snap. Hoped it was just something that fell off a dresser and hit the laminate flooring. Today whaile sitting here on the sofe, I heard a less audible snap like sound. It came from the direction of the wall and floor about 6 ft away near the piano in the dining room.

I'm thinking I need to reienforce the floor, especially under the piano. I was told byt the previous owner she paid shipping for 1500 lbs when she had shipped from Mobile, Alabama. I do not know if it was crated or not. I do know I can pick one end of it up as I have moved it twice since I have had it.



My floors are getting a little weak. When the house was built, x bracing was put between the floor joists. These 1x4 braces were nailed at the top, and nails were started in the bottoms. The bottoms were never nailed on ito the joists. :furious: 

This house is a good 50 years old.

Kind of strange that 1.5 to 2 inches would brak off the tails from nailing. Not sure it was the nail or the hammering.


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## Aframe (Mar 24, 2008)

After the wood dries out it can split pretty easily. Not unusual to split the bottom of a rafter at the birds mouth or a corner top or bottom. If it is just at the end a patch tail will do, just glue and screw a piece on as Warner said. Plywood does not hold well if you nailing -screwing into the edge so use 2x stock. 

If you find nails pulling out in other places along the fascia check those rafters as well, maybe need to use screws to pull the fascia back in tight if you're not otherwise removing it.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

I did use screws to replace the piece of facia. Overhang was added on the gable ends when it was reroofed this summer, and I had to build boxes and add some facia before wrapping it with aluminum.


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