Dips In Roof

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I looked at a house yesterday, and the top of the roof was straight, but the side of the roof had some dips in it that were a few feet high by a few feet wide. Does this mean there is rotting in the roof panels, requiring a complete tear-off and repair to the structure? Are we talking big money to fix this, over and above the cost of the new roof shingles?

Thanks

Comments(6)

  • DKRoff18th September, 2003

    If it's an older house, it could be cracked rafters causing the roof to sag. You would probably need to get up in the attic to check on the actual roofing material - plywood or OSB or 1x(whatever) - to see if it is rotten or not. If it's good, you can jack up the rafters until they are straight and nail new supports into the sides of the bad rafters. Probably a 2x8 or a 2x10.
    If it's just the rafters, it shouldn't be all that bad. I fthe plywood is bad, you'll need to tear off the shngles and replace from there.

  • mussetter18th September, 2003

    That's Kooky. You got a picture you can email me?

    Ronnie
    [addsig]

  • NC_Yank18th September, 2003

    Hi Andrew,

    If the ridge (top of roof) is straight then
    then its probably an easy repair.
    You see dipping in many roofs when spans of trusses or rafters are 2 ft. on center.

    If it is a broken rafter than the easy remedy is to scab both sides of the rafter
    (after straightening same) with 3/4 OSB or 2x4 four feet long...souther yellow pine or equivolent is best due to is strength.

    If bracing is needed make sure you brace same back to a load point.

    Good luck..

  • DaveREI18th September, 2003

    Call three roofing contractors

    get bids...should be free

    and take no chances...

  • MSecorsky20th September, 2003

    As a roofer I can tell you that dips are caused primarily by two things, bad plywood or improperly applied plywood. When the rafters are placed 2 feet apart there shouls be plywood clips installed halfway between each rafter to prevent sag. At least that's the code in Florida... Normally you're looking at bad plywood. How old is the roof? If it's a new roof and it looks like it was applied over bad wood the contractor that did it can be held liable.

    You can assume with a fairly high accuracy that a strip/reroof will be in order here. Get multiple estimates and be careful of low-ballers... here in Fl. you could expect to pay around 135 +/- or so a square (100 sq ft). We were talking to a guy that got a bid at 90 per square, took it, and the roofer never showed up to do the job. No money in it.

    Well, enough babbling... good luck!

  • Banhel29th September, 2003

    It is either cracked rafters or bad deck boards. You need to get up on the roof and in the attic to properly analyze the situation.

    Is the roof adequately ventillated ? Insufficient ventillation will greatly reduce the life of the decking material under the shingles.

    When you walk on the sagged area does it crunch under your weight? If it does its rotting or delaminated decking boards.

    Alot of contractors will not come out to give a quote if you are not the owner o the property. If you can't get a roofing contractor to come out you need to hire an inspector to inspect the roof.

    If the roof boards are bad then you will need a complete tear-off and replacement of the bad boards. I just had 3 quotes to redeck & reshingle an 1,800 sf roof and the quotes ranged from $5,800 to $6,500

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