Reported Cut Roof Truss in Bonita Springs: The Repair We Drew
A builder contacted us about a home in Bonita Springs, built in the late 1990s. The job was to remove the header between the nook and the kitchen and replace it with an upset beam. A header is the beam over an opening. This one was an LVL, a laminated veneer lumber beam, and the contractor reported that roof trusses were bearing on it.
We designed the upset beam: a new LVL set within the depth of the ceiling framing, so the opening below is clear of the beam and the ceiling can run continuous. The roof trusses hang off the side of the new beam in steel hangers.
The plan said "do not cut"
The 1998 truss plan showed a girder truss (a heavier truss that carries other trusses) on the line where we put the new beam. The contractor reported that it had never been installed, and that two trusses were bearing on the old header instead. The truss engineering drawings were not available, so we took the truss loads as the rated loads of the hangers the 1998 truss plan called for.
The sealed drawings were clear about one thing. Note 6 on the framing sheet: do not cut, notch or alter any truss member or truss plate. If a truss member is in the way of the beam or its connectors, stop and notify the engineer. Another note asked that the new beam be set tight to the ends of both trusses, with no more than a 1/8" gap.
What happened in the field
Once the work was under way, the contractor emailed: one truss "sticks out 3" past" the other, and setting the new beam a little crooked to reach both ends did not work. Less than half an hour later came the plan: cut the bottom chord (the bottom horizontal member of the truss) and let the truss vertical sit on top of the new beam, then add plywood to repair it. The next afternoon, photos arrived that the contractor said showed what the crew did, with a request for repair guidance.
Four attic photos arrived with no words or context. The reply from Michael D. Stewart, P.E. was short: "I need a sketch or more direction." That evening a hand sketch on graph paper came back, and that gave us enough to draw the repair.
The repair
We drew the repair right on the contractor's sketch:
A plywood gusset on each side of the truss. A gusset is a plate that ties truss members together. Here it is one layer of 3/4" plywood per side, covering the bottom chord and the vertical with the area between them filled in, notched around the beam. It runs 24" along the chord clear of the beam, plus a lap of at least 3-1/2" over the beam, and stands 36" tall.
Structural screws. Simpson SDS25312 screws (1/4" x 3-1/2") at 4" on center, alternating sides, into the chord and the vertical.
A wider hanger. The sealed set hung this truss in a hanger sized for a 2x member. With plywood on both sides the truss is now 3" wide (1-1/2" chord plus 3/4" each side), so it goes in a 4x bucket hanger, a U-shaped steel hanger the end of the truss sits in, nailed to the face of the new beam.
The last line of the email asked for photos of the plywood and the hanger before the ceiling is closed. The drawings already asked for photos of the finished post, beam, straps and hangers before the ceiling was closed.
What this means for you
Our drawings say not to cut, notch or alter a truss, and to stop and call if one is in the way. In this case we were able to draw a repair. It still took a sketch, three rounds of drawing on our side, and about a day of back-and-forth before the crew had direction.
Two things were true of this house: the 1998 plan showed a girder truss that the contractor reported was never installed, and the truss engineering was not available to us.
What to do
Read the notes on the framing sheet before work starts. If the drawings say "do not cut, notch or alter," that applies even when a member is only a few inches off, as it was here.
Stop and call when something does not fit. The drawings tell you to notify the engineer before you go on.
Send a sketch with your photos. Mark the members, the cut and the dimensions, and add a sentence about what you are looking at. Photos alone did not explain the condition here.
Find your truss drawings. If you have the original truss engineering for your house, give it to your engineer at the start. Here it was not available.
Do not close the ceiling until the engineer has seen the photos of the repair and the hangers.
Frequently asked questions
Can a cut roof truss be repaired?
On this job we drew a repair for the specific truss and the specific cut: a plywood gusset on both sides, fastened with structural screws, plus a wider hanger. Do not guess at it; send your engineer a sketch and photos first.
Why can't the crew just trim the truss to make it fit?
Our drawings say not to cut, notch or alter any truss member or truss plate, and to stop and notify the engineer if one is in the way. That gives the engineer the chance to look at the fit before anything is cut.
What is an upset beam?
It is a beam set within the depth of the ceiling framing, so the opening below is clear of the beam and the ceiling can run continuous. On this job the trusses hang off its side in steel hangers.
Do I need photos for the engineer before I close the ceiling?
On this job, yes. The drawings ask for photos of the finished post, beam, straps and hangers before the ceiling is closed, and we asked for the same on the repair.
Replacing a header in Bonita Springs, Fort Myers or Naples? See how we handle home additions and remodels, read about our Fort Myers structural work, or call us at (239) 292-7670. We have never lost a structure to a hurricane.
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