How to Repair a Rafter Tail & Install Fascia
- Access to the Soffit To begin, assess the project and choose the right scaffolding method for the situation. ...
- Plan the Process In this case, to help solve the problem of rafter tail decay and separate any moisture-conductive aluminum gutter from tail ends, we're going to install ...
- Choose the Material
How to repair a rotted rafter?
How to Replace Rotted Rafter Ends on a Gable Roof
- Place a stepladder or extension ladder under the rafter end with the most damage. ...
- Measure from the end of the rafter tail to the area of good wood with a tape measure. ...
- Cut 2-by-6-inch boards to the measurement with a circular saw. ...
- Mark off the first rafter end at the original measurement. ...
How to replace rotted wood rafters?
Things You'll Need
- Pry bar
- Reciprocating saw
- Circular saw
- 2-by pressure-treated lumber
- 1-by pressure-treated lumber
- Wood clamps
- Screws
- Screwdriver
- Primer
- Paintbrush
How to measure, cut and install rafters?
- Match the blade measurement at the bottom of the rafter with the width of your wall plate and draw towards the heel cut line – this marks the seat cut ...
- Beyond the bird’s mouth resides the rafter tail. Measure out your overhang.
- At this point, mark your tail cut parallel to your plumb and heel cuts.
How to cut rafters for shed?
How to build roof rafters
- Know your measurements. Before you cut anything, you need the span, rise, run, and line length of your roof frame. ...
- Determine roof pitch. The roof pitch dictates the angles at which you need to cut your rafters as well as their length. ...
- Buying lumber. How long do the boards need to be? ...
- Outline the cuts. We have our lumber. ...
- Make the cuts. ...
- Install the rafters. ...
How do you repair a rotten rafter tail?
0:273:13Essential Repair - Eave and Rafter Tail Wood Repair - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSound the wood for the replacement eve section was clamped in place. A small brush was used to coatMoreSound the wood for the replacement eve section was clamped in place. A small brush was used to coat the sides of the replacement wood with liquid wood acting as a primer for woody.
How much does it cost to replace rafter tails?
Rafter Tail Repair Cost Repairs can become complicated with a rafter tail repair which averages $300 to $3,000. The rafters of your home act as the roof's skeletal support system. Rafter tails are sections that reach beyond the exterior walls.
How do you repair a rotted rafter?
First, remove the rotten wood, and then replace it with new rafters.Remove the rotted wood with a chisel and pry bar. ... Measure the length of framing wood needed with a measuring tape. ... Cut the framing wood to fit with a circular saw. ... Cut sister boards if necessary with a circular saw. ... Screw the new rafter into place.More items...
How do you seal exposed rafter tails?
Best you can do is:sand them to bare wood.drill and insert boron rods maybe 1" down from the top surface.plug the boron rod holes with epoxy and sand again.soak the end grain with a borate solution.soak the heck out of the entire exposed surface in an epoxy solution (I like CPES for this)restain with solid body stain.
Are rafter tails structural?
Rafter tails are the exposed exterior portion of a building's wood structural truss that projects beyond the perimeter wall of the structure. This structural element is secured to the top of the wall or tie beam and then projects to support the soffit overhang.
How do you replace a rafter without removing the roof?
Measure the dimensions of the old rafters beneath your roofing surface. ... Slide one of the newly cut rafter legs into position directly next to the old rafter. ... Slide the new joists into position beneath each of the new sets of rafters. ... Drive nails through the joists and into the new rafters at each end.
How do you repair a roof rafter?
0:513:07HOW TO REPAIR A SPLIT RAFTER - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTake construction adhesive such as liquid nails. And put a liberal amount on each side of theMoreTake construction adhesive such as liquid nails. And put a liberal amount on each side of the damaged rafter. Now you're going to take your new boards.
How do you install rafter tails?
2:276:23How To Install Rafter Tails From Start To Finish - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey usually go up against the inside of the fascia. So you want to make sure you have enough roomMoreThey usually go up against the inside of the fascia. So you want to make sure you have enough room to slide that rafter tail in there. So you want to keep your cleat roughly an inch away from.
How do you repair rotted wood on a roof?
0:231:35Roof Repair and Wood Rot - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRot. When a roof is replaced you have to remove the existing material that's there and sometimes youMoreRot. When a roof is replaced you have to remove the existing material that's there and sometimes you find a little bit of wood rot underneath.
How do you enclose rafter tails?
2:354:20Rafter Tails - How to Frame - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere are ways that you can kind of accommodate a tail layout. If if you didn't want to frame yourMoreThere are ways that you can kind of accommodate a tail layout. If if you didn't want to frame your regular Raptors on. And then as show me the material that's going on top this is Doug Fir.
How do I sister a roof rafter?
Position the sister flat alongside the rafter instead of upright like the rafter, with the lower end atop the wall. Swing the upper end away from the rafter until the tip of the plumb cut bypasses the lower edge of the ridge board. Rotate the sister so it's upright and push it against the side of the rafter.
How do you install gutters on exposed rafter tails?
3:1716:45How to Install Gutters on a House With No Fascia Board - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what we're first going to want to do is hook this corner with a hook into the other gutter. You'MoreSo what we're first going to want to do is hook this corner with a hook into the other gutter. You're gonna want to somehow get underneath the shingle. And hook that gutter. So it's nice and hooked.
How much does it cost to reinforce rafters?
Roof truss prices for a 2,000-square-foot home are typically between $7,200 and $12,000 installed. Roof truss materials cost from $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot of building area, or between $35 and $150 per truss. Installation labor ranges from $20 to $75 per hour.
How much does it cost to sister a rafter?
If you are only using 16d nails for a small section of a rafter, then this project will cost you less than $75. If you need a full-sized sistered rafter plus lag or carriage bolts, then you are going to spend closer to $200.
How much does it cost to replace ceiling joists?
The project's low cost is $100 to replace a damaged drop tile. The high cost for this project is $2,000 to deal with a serious leak....Cost to Repair a Ceiling by Type of Repair.Type of RepairAverage Repair Costs (Labor Included)Crack$100 - $500Hole$100 - $600Seam$150 - $500Joist$150 - $7008 more rows•Jun 7, 2021
What are roof rafters?
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associated loads. A pair of rafters is called a couple.
What happens if you damage a rafter tail?
If you have damaged rafter tails, your roof is at risk of flooding, rotting or potentially even collapsing. This condition is a serious one, and you should take the time to replace any rotted or damaged rafter tails quickly and before the issue becomes worse. Fortunately, replacing rafter tails is a straightforward process, ...
Can you cut rafter tails?
Taking particular care to be safe and to not cut any wood that may be directly supporting something else, cut off each of your rafter tails at the length that you measured for the replacement tails. You do not need to worry about sanding the tail ends down at this point.
How to replace a rotted rafter tail?
Cut off the rotted rafter tail with a reciprocating saw. Cut a replacement board from 2-by pressure-treated lumber that is the same size and width as the rafter tail you just cut, using a circular saw. Cut a piece of 1-by pressure-treated lumber that is longer than the replacement board by 4 to 6 inches. Advertisement.
Can you fix a rafter with decay?
Unless you have advanced carpentry skills, you may not be able to fix a rafter with serious decay problems. This type of repair affects the structural integrity of the entire roof. But if the decay is on the rafter tail above the house's soffit, a do-it-yourselfer can usually complete this type of rafter repair. Advertisement.
Why remove aluminum gutters?
Removing the wood gutters removes that rigid supportive strength. Because aluminum can conduct moisture, putting it against raw end-grain is a recipe for moisture wick and further decay. If you take a close look at these rafter tail ends, you can see a round decayed area where the gutter spike was located.
Why are aluminum gutters cut plumb?
To do this, the notch in the tail is cut plumb, because the size of modern aluminum gutters has a greater depth than original wood gutters and doesn't fit in the notch. When that retrofit is made, two compromises happen: The original wooden gutters had rigid and supportive strength that tied everything together.
Why use 6" exterior screws?
In these cases, we like to use 6" exterior screws, because they're long enough to pass through any soft wood into hard, secure wood for ultimate holding power. We're not concerned with the large heads on the screws for beautification, because the gutter will hide them.
Do old houses settle?
Old houses settle; that's a fact. This also means that the rafters settle as well. In other words, they are not in a straight plane with each other in a long run. There could be a rise or a sag or a combination.
Repairing rafter tails
We're getting the roof on our house replaced. It's 5 layers deep in some points -- glad I'm not doing that job!
Comments (4)
I can't lay my hands on the book right now because I don't even remember which one it is, might be the big one from OHJ, but one of my old-house-repair books discusses replacing rotted rafter tails.
Step 1
Set up your ladder on level, stable ground near the area of the roof with the rotted rafter tails.
Step 2
Pry away rain gutters by removing either the metal strapping that holds them to the fascia boards or the long metal spikes that fix them to the fascia with the end of a hammer. Set the gutters aside.
Step 3
Remove the nails from the fascia board covering the rafter ends with the end of a claw hammer. Also remove the soffit material covering the bottoms of the rafters, if applicable.
Step 4
Examine the rafter tails to determine the extent of the damage. When the soft, rotted areas are confined to the very ends of the rafters, you can repair the rafters without disturbing the roof.
Step 5
Remove the shingles, underlayment and plywood sheathing directly over the rotted rafter tails if damage extends more than few inches from the end of the rafters.
Step 6
Measure the length of the overhang with a measuring tape, from the exterior wall to the end of the rafter in the case of a badly rotted rafter tail, or for a rafter with rot someplace other than its end. Measure the rotted portion of a rafter with damage confined to its last few inches.
Step 7
Cut a length of 2-by-4 or 2-by-6 lumber, depending on your rafter dimensions, to twice the length of the damage for a small repair, or three times the length of its overhang, advises carpenter Jack LeVert in "Fine Homebuilding" magazine's book "Roofing." Skip to Step 9 if your repair is just to the tail end of the rafter.
