Soft sheathing

[David C. Macy]

Roof was very spongy/soft.

Stains at various areas from leaking penetrations but my question is on the bracing of the trusses.

Was toe nailing acceptable in 1959?
The braces seemed improper as well.

Any recommendations.

Looks like Gus needs some Gusset plates

Roof was 1 layer asphalt shingle.

[mnahrgang]

Originally Posted by dmacy

Roof was very spongy/soft.

Stains at various areas from leaking penetrations but my question is on the bracing of the trusses.

Was toe nailing acceptable in 1959? Probably, It seems to have held up pretty well over the last 50 years.
The braces seemed improper as well. Perhaps by today's standards, but again I say it's worked pretty well for 50 years. Today's homes are only designed to last 50 years as it is.

Any recommendations.

Looks like Gus needs some Gusset plates

Roof was 1 layer asphalt shingle.

Assuming the sponginess wasn't over, but between the trusses, I'd write up the leaks and the sponginess, and let the rest go.

BTW, You might want to make mention of the K & T wiring.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Originally Posted by mnahrgang

BTW, You might want to make mention of the K & T wiring.

David,

Sorry for drift...

Is it common in your area to have K&T in 1959? Generally, K&T was predominate up to the 30's, but diminished through the 40's, and was pretty well non-existant by the 50's. Just wondering if it is a regional thing.

Jeff

[Billy Boerner]

Originally Posted by jjonas

David,

Sorry for drift...

Is it common in your area to have K&T in 1959? Generally, K&T was predominate up to the 30's, but diminished through the 40's, and was pretty well non-existant by the 50's. Just wondering if it is a regional thing.

Jeff

Knob and tube wiring (sometimes abbreviated K&T) was an early standardized method of electrical wiring in buildings, in common use in North America from about 1880 to the 1930s.

I agree with Jeff. You sure the house was built in 59?

[Marcel R. Cyr]

David, for a 1950's build, I am surprised to see plywood on the roof.
Although I know Maine has always been behind times, plywood was not in use in northern Maine until the late 60's.
It was very common to tonail members as you saw it and we did not have money to waste to buy perforated pipe straps to aid in the connection.
If the plywood sheathing were original to this building, you would see that the left overs would have been used to provide gussets on the truss chords.
Plywood only really started being used in 1940, and not everyone could afford it.
My recollection is using spruce boards on the roof till about 1962.
Most people kept using boards because it was strong, cheaper and labor was not a factor in those years. Hell, I was working for about 50 cents an hour in those years.
I believe that since this plywood sheathing was installed, it leaked at one time so much to create all those water stains.
You can see some of the roofing nails that are extra long and some that barely penatrate the plywood.
This indicates to me that there was a re-roof done and the roofing nails were pounded in before the new install.

The knob and tube could be original, but on the other hand were used by many people for supporting miscellaneous wiring. Most knobs were salvaged for whatever else they could be useful for.

I would call out the softness in the plywood and moisture stains and go from there.
Been there that long, it won't go anywhere.

Hope this helps.

[David C. Macy]

Thanks for all the responses and helpfull information.

I did mention the presence of the knob & tube.

Seems like there are a few versions of the knob & tube. I see K&T in some early 1960's homes. Very common around here.