Why Collar Ties Are Important

Most of us don’t walk around thinking about collar ties (the technical term is actually collar beam), but without them many homes would literally fall apart.

See that short, horizontal board at the top of the roof in the diagram to the left? That is a collar tie. Pretty unassuming, right? But that little board keeps a rafter style roof from twisting and moving too much.

A roof system takes a lot of stress, movement from itself, from the rest of the house, temperature changes, snow loads, and so much more. That small board takes quite a bit of that stress and helps keep our roof from sagging. 

The reason I bring this up is that many times on home inspections I see this framing member removed from roof trusses. Often when there is a sag in the roof, I find the collar ties missing in the attic. It is often just a matter of a home owner or a contractor trying to make head room in the attic. Be sure to leave these framing members in place and in good condition

Questions? Get in touch!