*
Has anyone run across this problem before?… and found an easy solution?
Our 45-yr-old ranch-style house has roof trusses with a 2×4 bottom chord. This chord rests, of course, on the bearing walls that flank the hallway down the center of the house. Every winter a 3/8-1/2″ gap appears between the top plate of the walls and the bottom truss chord. This causes a crack to open where the wall drywall meets the ceiling drywall, along with ceiling drywall nail popouts.
I’ve considered screwing the trusses down to the wall plate, but the force seperating them was so strong in mid-winter that I broke several lag screws.
Then I thought I’d do the chore in the warmer season when the trusses again settled onto the wall plate. Then I thought that a simpler solution would be to SHIM the gap to stop the seasonal movement, but, alas, the warm weather closed the gap before I got to it.
Any idea of what is causing this? Seasonal ground shifting causing perimeter foundation to rise and fall? Seasonal change in the truss structure due to humidity or temperature? Any ideas are welcomed!
Steve in St. Louis
Replies
*
Has anyone run across this problem before?... and found an easy solution?
Our 45-yr-old ranch-style house has roof trusses with a 2x4 bottom chord. This chord rests, of course, on the bearing walls that flank the hallway down the center of the house. Every winter a 3/8-1/2" gap appears between the top plate of the walls and the bottom truss chord. This causes a crack to open where the wall drywall meets the ceiling drywall, along with ceiling drywall nail popouts.
I've considered screwing the trusses down to the wall plate, but the force seperating them was so strong in mid-winter that I broke several lag screws.
Then I thought I'd do the chore in the warmer season when the trusses again settled onto the wall plate. Then I thought that a simpler solution would be to SHIM the gap to stop the seasonal movement, but, alas, the warm weather closed the gap before I got to it.
Any idea of what is causing this? Seasonal ground shifting causing perimeter foundation to rise and fall? Seasonal change in the truss structure due to humidity or temperature? Any ideas are welcomed!
Steve in St. Louis