How to Fix a Broken Truss in the Attic

A broken truss can cause your roof to sag and weaken the overall structure of your home. A truss may be broken during construction or may succumb to high winds, excessive snow loads or an earthquake. Repairing a truss is a fairly simple matter of attaching strong, unbroken boards over the part of the truss that is broken and permanently securing them to act as splints, restoring the truss to its original strength.

2-by-4 lumber
Circular saw
Measuring tape
Construction adhesive
Screws, 4 inches long
Drill

Instructions

- 1
  Spread construction adhesive over the face of a 2-by-4. Place the 2-by-4 against the part of the truss that is broken so the break is at the center of the 2-by-4 along the length of the truss. Secure the 2-by-4 by driving a 4-inch-long screw into each end, just far enough to hold the 2-by-4 in place but not so far that the end of the screw comes out the other side of the truss.
- 2
  Put construction adhesive onto the face of another 2-by-4. Place this 2-by-4 on the opposite side of the broken truss so the break is sandwiched between the two 2-by-4s. Secure this 2-by-4 by driving 4-inch-long screws through it, through the truss and into the opposite 2-by-4.
- 3
  Drive the first two screws that you put in all the way in so they go through the truss and into the opposite 2-by-4.
- 4
  Add more 4-inch-long screws along the length of the 2-by-4s. The more screws you add, the stronger the repair will be.

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