Thread: Bark Pocket in Truss

Do you consider this bark pocket a reportable defect in a roof truss? The water damage and mold are another issue but I am wondering if you consider the wood defect a problem. My awl pushed right through the truss. Would you recommend a structural engineer to evaluate or a carpenter to sister a member next to this one?

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Looks pretty old, any functional problems? Does it exceed the boring, notching allowances for joists?

The correct term for the "bark pocket" is wane. Since that is a truss, I don't think it will jeapordize the integrity of the structure. If it were in a rafter it would be different. The main issue would be that the nailing surface is reduced, but I don't think that it would be an issue as it appears to be installed. You can recommend sistering as a CYA, but I wouldn't press the issue too much.

Jim, I could not detect any functional problems. I don't know if it exceeds the notching/boring allowances for joists as the bark is varying thickness and the hole(s) are also uneven. I'm not sure joist notching applies to trusses anyway.

Jon, wane is bark or missing wood at the edge of a wood member. This is a pocket at the middle of the member. I agree with your recommendation for a sistered member rather than a structural engineer's evaluation. I call this a suggested upgrade in my reports.

Chris, the notching and boring allowances would not apply to a truss, but would be at least a guide line as a starting place. If it exceeds the allowance for a joist, then I would tend to report it since the truss is more dependent on the integrity of all of the individual components, not as much "fudge factor" as the span and notching tables. Another reason for using this as a guide, is the picture does not show what your found when you probed. Just the fact that more than 1/3 is missing or not would be another way to look at it.
All things considered, the older the construction the more weight I would give to the functional success or failure. But that is just my way of looking at it, your mileage may vary