Dear Guru: Altering Roof Trusses

DEAR POLE BARN GURU:Currently constructing building and the roof trusses are not built according to engineered plans. Plans call for 2*10 and these trusses are 2*6. Builder has purchased additional materials to reinforce the trusses.

Now the steel is going up today and found that the 2 11’10” clay endwall pieces are missing. Builder also informed me that there are not any gutter endcaps. SPINY IN SOUTH DAKOTA

DEAR SPINY: Thank you very much for investing in a new Hansen Pole Building kit package last year.

Roof trusses on building plans are typically just an approximation of what the trusses may look like, as the draftsperson does not have the drawings from the roof truss manufacturer when plans are produced. In reviewing the engineer sealed truss drawings from the truss company, indeed 2×6 trusses will carry the loads appropriate for your building.

Either you, or your builder, really should have been in contact with us prior to your trusses being altered. Even though “reinforcing” the trusses may have seemed like a good idea at the time, it is very possible their ability to properly carry the loads has been compromised. A prefabricated truss should never be altered, without the approval of the manufacturer and their engineer.

Weird things do happen from time-to-time, and your steel order happens to be one of those. Our Material Takeoff (which was provided to you last year so you could do inventory) does happen to show the 11’10” pieces, as does our order to the steel company. For whatever reason, the steel company did not process these two pieces and they do not appear on the return paperwork from the manufacturer.

We do provide explicit instructions as to inventorying all materials as they are received by you. You are given 48 hours after receipt to notify us of shortages – for many reasons. Suppliers are paid by us, based upon the Purchase Orders we place, so we have had to pay for the two panels which you did not receive. We also want to prevent construction delays. If we had known these panels were not received by you 10 months ago, with the rest of your order, it could easily have been rectified then.

Even though the missing panels were not reported as expected, we will be providing them to you at no charge.

On the gutter endcaps – we did not provide your gutters, you may want to contact whomever you contacted to provide the gutters

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *