Insufficient roof bracing

[Badly Drawn Boy]

Hi all,

I’ve recently moved into a new home which was built in 1970’s.

Our home buyers survey came back with “insufficient diagonal bracing” in the roof.

is this anything I should really worry about?

I wasn’t too worried until the upstairs artex ceiling started to crack, I wasn’t sure if this could be related?

I have attached some images to show.

Any advice would be appreciated many thanks

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

There should be some bracing to the trusses, something like this:

https://line.17qq.com/articles/gnlomkgdv.html

If you knew what was required you could DIY it.

 

[23vc]

The ceiling cracks look like normal board joints that develop over time, won’t be due to the whole roof moving due to lack of bracing.
I’d say it’s unlikely to be an issue but you can fix it by fixing boards to the underside of the truss rafters, as long as you can get down fairly close to the eaves

edit: see the board that runs diagonally across the roof in bobby’s link above.

 

[noseall]

I'm intrigued as to how you get a 4m brace through the loft hatch and then how you fix the end to the wall plate...?

 

[23vc]

I'm intrigued as to how you get a 4m brace through the loft hatch and then how you fix the end to the wall plate...?

You could through my fancy fakro hatch, it’s mahoosive.
Yeah, obvs can’t fix to wall plate, but something’s better than nothing and all that.
But as said I assume no one ever really bothers to do this, but if you wanted to, you could to some extent.

 

[23vc]

...Although, how you then get it between the trusses is more of a challenge, I grant you. I need to stop visualising my 60s cut roof when answering this question

 

[stuart45]

The early trussed rafters roofs were not braced like they are nowadays, and some suffered from wind racking. However the ones that have stood the test of time are usually OK. Surveyors always pick up on this.

 

[^woody^]

Are the gables leaning?
Has the verge overhang disappeared?

What did the surveyor say about the foam spray coating?

 

[stuart45]

Well spotted woody, I had that down as a giant mutant hornets nest.

 

[bsr]

I'm not a professional. Those members look pretty chunky for a truss and I would expect the spray foam to provide some bracing anyway. I would be relaxed about it.