Sagging Roof

In Silicon Valley, a house detective discovered a sagging roof over the garage. The problem was caused by a storage loft that put excessive load on the undersized roof framing. The roof framing was not designed to carry that kind of weight.

In older homes, rafters and joists support the roof; newer homes use a system of trusses. In general, roof framing should not be used for storage purposes. However , in some older homes like this one, the roof framing is structurally capable of providing a space for storage.

Before you put extra weight on the roof framing in your home, check that the rafters and joists are at least eight inches thick and spaced 12 to 16 inches apart. Use common sense when it comes to storing heavy items in the space supported by the roof framing. And if you're not sure whether your framing can support your storage needs, contact a building professional. Remember, overloading an undersized roofing system can cause oversized problems.

Also in this Episode

House Detective : Episode HDT-108
•	Sagging Roof
•	Beetles