In the attic of a 1996 2 story home & I see this block of wood supported by 2x4’s holding up the roof.
No brackets, just some toed in nails holding this.
just doesn’t look right to me.
any thoughts?
My guess is that it was a temporary support while they were putting the rafters up. The rafters will be pressing on each other, and there is likely very little if any load on the 2x4.
Others with more framing experience than I will likely chime in though.
I agree. Temporary support.
Or someone doesn’t know how to cut compound angles, and they’re CYA with the 2x4. :shock:
thanks for the input
It looks like temporary supports. Any evidence that the bottom end of the ‘bracing’ is pressing down on whatever it’s resting upon?
Without being there, I’d want to add a some language to my report that advised the client to ‘monitor’ the item and protected yourself.
Temporary support used while erecting and never taken out.
When framing a stick built hip roof, the members act against each other and is difficult to keep the ridge from moving one way or the other. Once the common rafter and the two adjacent hip rafters are in place, it is no longer needed.
Full evaluation of the framing structure is warranted to make sure the design did not intend to have a king post for some odd reason.
Attenttion required at the seat cut and span of the rafters along with pitch.
If unsure of what is being observed, recommend a qualified framing contractor to evaluate. 
Nice verbage!
Actually it is not temporary… its suppose to be there…it s way to catch the hip and ridge together… I have built home in 5 - 6 different counties around Mech…each require this type of support… its a very common framing technique.
regards
Jeff
If that were the case Jeff, it would at least be plumb. And if you need a king post to support the hip roof, something else is deffinately wrong.
Marcel,
It viewed as additional bracing which as you know does not have to be plumb…it can range from 45 - 90 degrees.
You see such bracing in the more elaborate roof systems… I would say though that when we brace the hip/ridge intersection we cut two blocks in a shape (trapezoid or octagon) that gives the maximum support.
Do I think its needed…typically no… however at the same time I have also built homes where the architect required two LVL’s for ridges.
Based upon my experience as a builder and in particular framing hundreds of homes including those which required such support by the BI… I would not have called it out. While hips are not technically self supportive as some builders and framers put forth, they are extremely strong roofs…especially the greater the pitch.
regards
Jeff
I wouldn’t have called out anything either, because it is not doing anything.
Maybe ones perception would change being able to see the attic as a whole in lieu of a picture.
Built a few hips myself Jeff in my hey days. :mrgreen:
You nailed it Marcel with the perception statement…its always difficult to comment on one picture… hopefully everyone can use this as a reminder to post as many pictures as necessary to give their piers a better view as to what they looking at including wide angle exterior pictures…especially when dealing with framing issues…there are so many variables that affect framing.
And speaking of framing, Basterd (Irregular) Hips are fun. Whenever I got to the roof system I always carried my master construction calculator in my tool belt…when I felt lazy I would pull out the “framer’s bible](http://www.econtractorstore.com/cgi-bin/item/rfb/CAT-107631/Craftsman-Books-Roof-Framers-Bible)”…not sure if you ever saw one but they are awesome… a must for the serious framer.
regards
Jeff
Well, I could lone you mine, but it is getting a little fragile. :mrgreen:
Look at the copywrite. It has a few miles on it.
I don’t know what the code states but my framers have always installed this kind of brace and I have had local AHJ’s request it be installed when it wasn’t present. I always would rather see a little more than a little less bracing.
My construction calculator looks just as bad… matter of fact I wore out the numbers…lol.
Have have you ever read the dedication on the framers bible…pretty awesome.
When I built in a neighboring county one of the county building inspectors was great about giving code reference on items like that… at times it comes down to their interpretation of the code.