Thread: Collar Ties Semi-Detached House (Once upon a time was one house)

Hello,

I am new to this forum and have a few queries with regards to collar ties.
Our house is a semi-detached house which was built early 1920's and has Welsh slate tiles. Hence the roof has quite ALOT of weight on it, and roof space is very high and large. The house was divided by only a wall during the 1950's. The roof has 8 collar ties, and our neighbours decided to cut off all 8 collar ties and struts from his side in order to make an additional room. He had no engineer inspect if this was safe. We called an engineer to see how dangerous this was. Apparently very dangerous! By cutting the collar ties there is a high load, and walls can come out as the roof has no other support. Roof was designed to have collar ties to support. Neighbour was forced to rectify this by bolting attached collar ties to ours, but some of the collar ties (3/8) are a little loose. Is this a problem???
Engineer gave ok from neighbours side, but engineer didn't inspect our side after the reperation. We are worried that this is a problem as collar ties were solid like a rock prior to our neighbour dciding to cut them all out.

Any advice?

Thanks.

Poppet.

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Originally Posted by Poppet of Location Witchita

Hello,

I am new to this forum and have a few queries with regards to collar ties.

Our house is a semi-detached house which was built early 1920's and has Welsh slate tiles. Hence the roof has quite ALOT of weight on it, and roof space is very high and large. The house was divided by only a wall during the 1950's. The roof has 8 collar ties, and our neighbours decided to cut off all 8 collar ties and struts from his side in order to make an additional room. He had no engineer inspect if this was safe.
We called an engineer to see how dangerous this was. Apparently very dangerous! By cutting the collar ties there is a high load, and walls can come out as the roof has no other support. Roof was designed to have collar ties to support. Neighbour was forced to rectify this by bolting attached collar ties to ours, but some of the collar ties (3/8) are a little loose. Is this a problem???

Engineer gave ok from neighbours side, but engineer didn't inspect our side after the reperation. We are worried that this is a problem as collar ties were solid like a rock prior to our neighbour dciding to cut them all out.

Any advice?

Thanks.

Poppet.

Hello "Poppet".

Your new topic discussion should have been created in the Questions from Home owners, Buyers, and Diyers non-technical discussion area of the forum, HERE (clickble link):

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_i...me-buyers-diy/

When you're logged in, and the page linked above has been "refreshed" you should see a "new thread" icon/button just above the list of existing topic discussions in that forum area. Please use that non-technical discussion area.

As far as the "fact set" your sporting, I'd advise you to engage the services of a licensed engineer to inspect, review, calculate, and advise on same in a stamped report.

The only "Witchita" (your stated profile "location") that I'm aware of is in Kansas, and IIRC they still spell it "Wichita" (no extra "t"), spelled same in "Wichita Falls, in texas, too; we in the "lower 48" tend to use american english spelling, as well.

Your use of non-american english spelling, questionable location identification (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, or 100s if not 1,000s of miles elsewhere), use of certain phrases not common in the U.S., and claim of 1920s vintage "welsh slate tile" roof (existing in tornado alley?!? also known for its common occurance freezing rain episodes and sustained prevailing winds, not known for importing brittle slate roof tiles all the way from western europe, not even the R.R. Barons), leave one questioning the veracity and intent of your entire post, "Poppet" .

Originally Posted by Poppet

Any advice?
Thanks.

Yes, hire an engineer to inspect your side of the house.
If its damaged due to your neighbors improper construction, your relief for the repair cost may come from the courts, or just fix it yourself and move on (or out, as the case may be.)

Originally Posted by Poppet

The house was divided by only a wall during the 1950's. The roof has 8 collar ties, and our neighbours decided to cut off all 8 collar ties and struts from his side in order to make an additional room. He had no engineer inspect if this was safe.

It might be safe, the engineer you called needs to look at your side of the roof.

From your description I have this picture: A house with a gable roof was split down the center with a wall, possibly a load bearing wall, and half of the roof is on your side and the other half of the roof is on your neighbors side.

Your neighbor cut out all of their collar ties - and that may not be a problem if the center wall is a load bearing wall and is carrying the load of the ridge of the roof, if all was done properly.

An example would be a roof with a ridge beam instead of a ridge board. A roof with a ridge board needs collar ties, a roof with a ridge beam does not as the ridge beam is supporting the load of the ridge of the roof. If the center all dividing your house is a load bearing wall, it may well be serving the purpose of the ridge beam - and it may be that no collar ties are needed.

Call the engineer to look at your side and that wall.