Causes of warped bargeboard

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jbrook3708

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#251548 30-Jun-2019 17:56

Looking for comments on the condition of this bareboard, it appears warped and is causing a noticeable gap between the roof and the gutter.

The bareboard has some minor signs of borer, so I suspect the timber could be original to the house (built early 30's). Is it not uncommon for timber of this age to behave like this?

I've had a look in the roof space and the rafters and underpurlins in that location look okay, no signs of lifting or warping.

Could it be possible something else behind the bargeboard is causing the warping affect?

If it's a matter of removing the guttering and replacing the bargeboard with new timber then that's something I can take on over a weekend. Or else I'm looking at getting a builder in to quote me, or just leaving it alone as it's really only for cosmetic reasons I'm looking at repairing this.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Goosey

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#2267406 30-Jun-2019 18:24

What kinda roof is that?

Either way, you have some sort of water issue causing that board to warp. Gutter overflowing? or rain getting into the screw holes the gutter brackets are on? Leaks though those roof nails?

Fred99

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#2267528 30-Jun-2019 22:08

I'm a bit curious about how the weatherboards beneath the guttering in that photo also appear to be warped the same way - although not by as much (the high spot is in the same place).

How level are the floors?

eracode

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#2267618 1-Jul-2019 07:42

From the angle of your photos it’s very difficult to see what might be going on there. Could you put up other angles - particularly looking along the bargeboard/spouting?

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Yogi02

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#2267621 1-Jul-2019 08:01

Fred99:

I'm a bit curious about how the weatherboards beneath the guttering in that photo also appear to be warped the same way - although not by as much (the high spot is in the same place).

How level are the floors?

I was about to say the same, The weather boards suggest there is something going on with the stud below/foundation or the roof truss.

I can see a conservatory or kitchen directly below - is there a large opening that has been put in there, wondering if someone has cut and jacked up that stud to put a beam in?

Its almost as though the truss has come off the external wall top plate?

Definitely some more photos please - possibly straight on.

Bung

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#2267624 1-Jul-2019 08:10

I put up a gutter that later sagged. I found that the weight of tile was pushing the fascia board down where the nails into the rafters had rusted. The original nails weren't galvanised.

jbrook3708

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#2268039 1-Jul-2019 22:14

Fred99:

I'm a bit curious about how the weatherboards beneath the guttering in that photo also appear to be warped the same way - although not by as much (the high spot is in the same place).

How level are the floors?

Yes you're right, the weather boards are also slightly warped in that location.

The floor is not completely level in that room, there were EQ repairs to the sub floor including jacking and packing of the piles.

There was also an chimney in the location of where the warping has occurred, close to the vent pipe in the picture, i'm not sure if that has contributed to the situation.

jbrook3708

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#2268040 1-Jul-2019 22:15

eracode: From the angle of your photos it’s very difficult to see what might be going on there. Could you put up other angles - particularly looking along the bargeboard/spouting?

Yep sure, I'll try and take a few photos before I head to work in the morning and put them up tomorrow evening.

Thanks

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jbrook3708

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#2268041 1-Jul-2019 22:25

Yogi02:

Fred99:

I'm a bit curious about how the weatherboards beneath the guttering in that photo also appear to be warped the same way - although not by as much (the high spot is in the same place).

How level are the floors?

I was about to say the same, The weather boards suggest there is something going on with the stud below/foundation or the roof truss.

I can see a conservatory or kitchen directly below - is there a large opening that has been put in there, wondering if someone has cut and jacked up that stud to put a beam in?

Its almost as though the truss has come off the external wall top plate?

Definitely some more photos please - possibly straight on.

Yes that's a conservatory roof you can see with an internal entrance very close to the location of the warping. The entrance has been there a very long time, I have photos of the house from the 1950's where I can see the very same entrance (prior to the conservatory being built in the mid 80's).

As mentioned in my last post there was jack and pack EQ repair work completed in the room directly behind the conservatory. It's hard to recall if the warping was there prior to the EQ work being carried out (5 years ago) or if the repair work was the cause.

Will post more photos tomorrow

Thanks for your comments

jbrook3708

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#2268168 2-Jul-2019 07:59

A couple of side on photos

geoffwnz

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#2268215 2-Jul-2019 08:26

To my untrained eye, I'd say the bargeboards are the least of your issues and appear to be part of a larger "issue".

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eracode

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#2268236 2-Jul-2019 08:52

geoffwnz:

To my untrained eye, I'd say the bargeboards are the least of your issues and appear to be part of a larger "issue".

True that. It seems a whole section of wall has been pushed up - floor, possibly one or more studs, weatherboards, bargeboard, probably rafter/s, and roofing. Because the spouting looks straight but the bargeboard doesn’t, it appears that the movement occurred prior to the current spouting being installed.

OP says he is really looking for only a cosmetic fix at roof level. As OP says, this means removing the spouting and the bargeboard. Then either fit a new bargeboard or trim the existing one to take out the lengthwise bulge/curve and re-fix it.

However that might ‘straighten’ the bargeboard but will likely leave the bulge in the roofing - if the rafters have also been pushed up. Straightening the bargeboard will make the bulge in the roof - and the gap between the bargeboard and the edge of roof - more noticeable and possibly more leak-worthy. To fix the bulge in the roof it may be necessary to remove part of the roof and part of the purlins, trim the top of the rafters, refix purlins and roofing, etc. Getting to be a much bigger job.

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eracode

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#2271499 7-Jul-2019 20:28

@jbrook3708 Keen to know your current thinking in the light of the above comments.

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jbrook3708

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#2271519 7-Jul-2019 22:05

eracode: @jbrook3708 Keen to know your current thinking in the light of the above comments.

Some great feedback, awesome to get others opinion on this.

Re this comment: "Because the spouting looks straight but the bargeboard doesn’t, it appears that the movement occurred prior to the current spouting being installed."

Spot on, the spouting was replaced in the last year. The spouting looks to be sagging but it's actually fitted straight against the warped bargeboard.

And this one: "Straightening the bargeboard will make the bulge in the roof - and the gap between the bargeboard and the edge of roof - more noticeable and possibly more leak-worthy"

This is exactly what I was afraid of with simply replacing the bargeboard.

And also this one:

"It seems a whole section of wall has been pushed up - floor, possibly one or more studs, weatherboards, bargeboard, probably rafter/s, and roofing."

This makes complete sense to me now and I believe this is a result of the jack and pack EQ repair work carried out on the sub floor in 2014. I have attached a photo showing the same section of wall taken two years prior to the repair work to the sub floor. It's a bit harder to make out but I can't see the same warping in the weatherboards. What do you think?

As a result of the great feedback I have received on this post I have spoken to EQC this week about this issue. They have agreed to investigate further, I will report back with any progress.

Bung

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#2271549 7-Jul-2019 23:59

I blame the cat.

Fred99

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#2271598 8-Jul-2019 09:22

jbrook3708:

There was also an chimney in the location of where the warping has occurred, close to the vent pipe in the picture, i'm not sure if that has contributed to the situation.

I'd guess it probably has contributed. There was / probably still is a substantial concrete base for the old fireplace and chimney, that's probably stayed approximately at the same level during quakes, but the piles probably sank into the ground, especially either an old house and/or if the ground was a bit unstable.

EQC / Fletcher EQR were on a mission to reduce costs, they were helped by MBIE producing "revised" EQ guidelines allowing packing under bearers of up to 100mm without consent. This change made to make repairs "less onerous" to insurers - including EQC. Under the building code, 50mm of packing was maximum, more than that and the pile(s) should have been replaced.

As you can't lower it, then they probably should have used the level of the chimney base as datum point to take (lift) floors back to approx original level, but that may have meant that some or many piles would have needed to be packed more than 50mm (or 100mm) triggering building consent, which would have probably forced geotech survey and engineering design, or at the bare minimum replacement of piles. But no - choose a datum point at a mid level, notch bearers if some piles haven't sunk, pack within the limits.

From my experience with EQR/EQC hub staff, most had no idea about the implications of what they were doing.