How To Fix A Sagging Roof With Ease

A sagging roof is a serious danger for the safety of a house and everyone who lives in it. Your roof is one of the main factors of defense against the weather that your home has. So, maintaining it is crucial as soon as you see any issues.

Here, we’ll tell you how to fix a sagging roof without too much effort (and money) invested. The earlier you do it, the better, because if the structural integrity of the roof is off, every minute counts.

Fixing a Sagging Roof

First of all, determine the scale of the damage. Look at the roof from outside to see how much it’s sagging and where the main sag is in your attic. Then go to the attic and inspect the roof from the inside. See if the decking, rafters, and gusset plates are OK. Does anything rot? Are there cracks?

If the damage is too much for you to handle, it’s better to call a professional. But if it’s not, let’s proceed to the tools you’ll need to fix the issue.

What You Need to Fix a Sagging Roof

Here’s the whole set:

• Drill;
• Nails and a nail gun;
• Chisel;
• Lumbar strapping;
• Washers, bolts;
• Plywood sheets;
• Plywood or other gussets;
• Flashlight;
• Measuring tape;
• Steel L-shaped channel;
• Styrofoam.

With these, you’ll be able to fix your roof in the shortest time.

Steps on Fixing a Sagging Roof

Usually, the culprits are rafters and trusses, so you’ll need to fix them first of all. If this is your situation, here’s what to do:

1. Use the L-shaped steel channel to renew the shape of the damaged part of your roof. For that:
   1. Drill 4 holes in the channel on each side;
   2. Get rid of loose wooden pieces and other debris that block access of a chisel;
   3. Install the channel from the side that is more difficult to handle;
   4. Use washers and bolts to secure the channel in place (you’ve drilled holes for that already);
   5. Return the damaged part into its initial position;
2. See if there’s a gap between the broken truss or rafter and the channel and get bolts that are around 1.5” longer;
3. Tighten the bolts, starting with the bottom ones, one after another, until the other one is at the ¼” distance from the L-shaped channel;
4. Proceed until the broken part is fully secured;
5. Do the same to all the other holes you’ve drilled in the channel to fix the rafter or truss in position;
6. Consider supporting the damaged part even more, depending on the scale of sagging.

You may need some time to prepare everything and tighten the bolts, but it’s one of the easiest ways to fix sagging in your roof that is caused by rafters or trusses damage. You should also check on your roof every now and then to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Roof Decking Fix

In some cases, the roof decking might take some of the damage as well. A proper fix should be done by a specialist, but you can use the following permanent solution:

1. Measure the area that is broken and cut a plywood sheet (choose ½” thickness) to create a temporary covering;
2. Take your styrofoam and glue it to the piece you’ve cut;
3. Place the construction you’ve made to the broken decking and apply pressure until the foam side will touch the decking;
4. Use lumbar strapping for security.

Then, find time to call a professional and get your roof decking fixed properly. And remember to maintain your roof regularly to prevent sagging or other problems.