Hi All,
I have a 1900s balloon framed house, stone foundation, no insulation, etc… pretty typical of the era. However, I’ve been working on the attic getting it ready for insulation and more joists to meet code, and I finally got a chance to inspect the roof framing up close.
My attic joists actually extend beyond the exterior wall and become the soffit. The old wooden siding is nailed directly to the underside of the joists where it becomes the exterior, with a new vinyl soffit over that.
Also, the rafters rest completely on top of the joists. Whats more, there’s generally no fasteners holding the rafters to the joists, although there is a full bearing surface instead of a birdsmouth or a point load, which is nice I guess
Id assume the solid 1″ pine sheathing is holding all of this together? What the heck is keeping the rafters from spreading out? There is a ridge board, but about a third of the roof doesn’t have it, which is also odd. The house is still standing though, so they did something right I guess.
I’m guessing there’s a top plate (even though it’s balloon framed) that the attic joists are resting on that’s hidden under the wooden siding/lathe and I’m about to cut a test hole to find out for sure. It’s all super weird and also very interesting- love old houses!
Before I encapsulate the space with insulation, anything I should /could do here while it’s open? Maybe a gusset, or a hurricane tie?
Replies
My guess would be they drove a big as!d nail ir two through the toe of the rafter down into the joist. The sheathing then completes their connection. The steeper the pitch the better the holding power. Over the years I’ve come across many semi questionable building techniques, some defying gravity. One barn we were taking down for siding salvage stayed standing with just two posts holding it up. This after all siding, several lateral beams and interior loft flooring removed. Brave or nuts was the guy with a chain entering to wrap that chain around one of those posts.
Good call, not sure why I didn't think of that. Most of the original nails in the house are cut nails, which are very strong. I know they're strong because they're almost impossible to remove- usually the wood breaks first before the nail comes out.
I guess making the joists become the soffit was just a cost saving measure- why frame in all that extra stuff when its right there.
Hopefully I include a video of an old tool you may not have seen. I’ve buried this tool somewhere but have used it several times and it does work as shown. It would remove those large cut nails with ease.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=573UbJ3tgQI
The two things dearest in life are the tools of the trade and the darling wife.
Don’t ask to borrow my tools and I won’t ask to borrow your wife.
.
Somehow I've got three of them. I have no idea where they came from. Haven't used them lately though.
Mike,
Unless you have the organization of a librarian, there’s I’m sure a couple of a lot of things we’ve picked up over the years.
The two things dearest in life are the tools of the trade and the darling wife.
Don’t ask to borrow my tools and I won’t ask to borrow your wife.
.