Broken ceiling joist in loft

[stevem999]

Hi folks,

Hoping the members of this forum can calm me down slightly after what I found today!

We have a loft conversion in our house but this does not stretch out to gutter level, however we have access to that space (eaves?) for water tanks/boarded-out storage etc. Was crawling around in this space today tracing an electric cable and noticed that one of the ceiling joists out there is broken. It's a fair way out towards towards gutter level. It doesn't seem to be totally broken through but at least 2/3 through. It almost seems as if it's split rather than broken. I guess the joist is for the ceiling for the bedrooms but as we have a loft conversion I believe it also acts as the support for the loft conversion flooring?

Our house has an overhanging roof and the way it has broken suggests it is the outside of the house that may have dropped (although you can't see anything) rather than the loft conversion side having dropped if you see what I mean. There is another beam running underneath the joists which seems to be providing the support as the roof starts to overhang the brickwork.

I'd really value any advice on whether I should be worried, what could be done with it (guess I can't prop up the house and refix it??!!), and what could be the cause?

I wouldn't know dry rot if I fell over it so can't tell if that is an issue. There is absolutely no evidence of any water ingress - bone dry and no discolouration etc. The wood inside the break looks the same well-seasoned colour as the rest of the joist(s) (i.e. no fresh wood from inside the break) which perhaps suggests it's been like this for years.

I'm going to attempt to upload a couple of images with this post, one of the break, another attempting to show the beam underneath and one of the outside of the house in the approximate location of the break.

Hope you can help, thanks.

View media item 37429
View media item 37430
View media item 37431 [/img]

 

[HERTS P&D]

In the first picture is there a duck sitting on the LEFT side of the picture?

Andy

 

[HERTS P&D]

You can fix some 4x2 timber at right angle to the broken ceiling joist, this will hold it in place.

The picture of the back of the house looks 'out' due to the angle of the guttering

Andy

 

[HERTS P&D]

Double post

 

[stevem999]

You can fix some 4x2 timber at right angle to the broken ceiling joist, this will hold it in place.

The picture of the back of the house looks 'out' due to the angle of the guttering

Andy

Well I can't see a duck, but if you can see a duck in all that blown insulation, then that's all good!!

So by fixing some 4x2, are you saying that it doesn't need any support 'vertically', just needs stopping from moving left to right? Or have I missed the point?

Yes, the fall of the gutter to the downspout does give the impression that the roof line is out but visually the ridge and the roofline at gutter level seem straight with no dips etc.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Just fix some 4x2 either side of the broken joint, this will support any weight that is on the broken side of the joist. Or screw down a sheet of 18mm ply say 600mm x 1200mm.

Andy

I can still see the baby duck on the LEFT side of the picture.

 

[stevem999]

ok great, so fix a piece of 4x2 either side of the joist in line with it and screw through into the broken one, but outside the broken area?

I think I may have found the duck!