How To Fix This?

[TrustJesus]

I am in the process of putting a ceiling up in my pole barn and I found one of the metal plate connectors on an end truss starting to crack (possibly pulling away) from the 2x6 bottom chord it is attached to. Based on some surface evidence this cracking is at least a year old, and maybe even older (I bought the place back in 2006 and it could have been cracked then, don't know, but I know it's at least a year old).

Please take a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts as to possible fixes. You can see the crack in the "overall pic" at the bottom of the "cross". Thank you.

 

[tomroblee]

I would ask for advice from a truss manufacturer

 

[readhead]

That is an unusual truss design. Are they all the same? The center vert is usually in compression but it appears from the split that it is in tension. Is there any evidence that any of the posts have moved? The simple answer is plywood glued and nailed at the joint on both sides. The both sides thing will be a problem. Something has moved and the trusses may continue to fail if you don't figure out the larger problem.
Truss manufactures usually are reluctant to offer fixes to trusses that are not theirs. They will probably point you to an engineer.

 

[joe_padavano]

Your problem is that whoever built that pole barn used the wrong type of truss at the ends. That is a gable end truss, which is normally used in conventional construction where the trusses on each end sit on top of the end walls and are fully supported by the 2x4 studs below them. The builder saves a couple of bucks on the gable end trusses because they don't use all the diagonal bracing that normal trusses use. When building a pole barn you should use normal trusses at the ends, not gable end trusses, for exactly this reason.

 

[readhead]

That was my first thought too that it was a gable truss but it still is kind of an odd design for a gable truss.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

That metal plate is way too short. It should go to the bottom of the chord.

 

[TrustJesus]

That is an unusual truss design. Are they all the same? The center vert is usually in compression but it appears from the split that it is in tension. Is there any evidence that any of the posts have moved? The simple answer is plywood glued and nailed at the joint on both sides. The both sides thing will be a problem. Something has moved and the trusses may continue to fail if you don't figure out the larger problem.
Truss manufactures usually are reluctant to offer fixes to trusses that are not theirs. They will probably point you to an engineer.

No, they are not all similar to this design, except the other end trusses (which has not damage). Also, I have been inspecting all the trusses, walls, posts, etc. and have not found anything to be out of line or that seemed to move.

 

[cantoo]

I would take a few more pictures just so you have them on file. I would glue 5/8" plywood onto the bottom chord and the top 2x 10 or whatever is about 1/2" under it. So a piece about 24" x 8' long, make sure to cover the other joiner plate too. Then powernail or screwnail everything together. The wood in the bottom chord looks like a bit of dry rot and some tension on it. Your garage isn't going to fall down though. Looks like you have a pretty healthy truss spacing too so I would check them all pretty closely.

 

[c39er]

Maybe one of the posts has sunk. It has caused the truss to crack.

 

[cj7365]

I would also have to agree that the metal plate is way to small, and wonder if it was a plate that went all the way down, if the 2x10 would of even split like that

 

[dadsEH]

strange it doesnt have a center post on that wall going from ground to roof cap!
was it left out to provide for a door opening I wonder? Just put a big a$$ plate on it.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

That design is not necessarily flawed for an end truss and that plate is an acceptable size because it is supposed to only hold it in place (the vertical portion is just resting on the horizontal). You are only worried about side-wards movement.

The real issue can probably be determined by your location. To me it looks like one of two possibilities. You just have a bad board that has naturally cracked OR you are located in tornado country and at some point a nasty gust of wind tried to remove your roof.

In either case the repair is quite simple. you want to take a piece of plywood, not OSB, and cut out a corner say 4' x 4' x ~5' 7". Glue this piece, long side down, overlapping the joint and nail the **** out of it, then rip the remaining plywood and fit it along the rest of the joist in question. Next get a fresh 2x and glue and nail it over the plywood/original board extending it at least 2' beyond the other board in the picture.

Then go around the perimeter of the inside of your structure and ensure you have proper hurricane collars in place...

 

[Sea_J]

I would get another 2x6 and using lag screws screw it right to the one that i cracking. I've seen were they use it on older houses to help with lagging floor joices I think they call it lamanating?

 

[joe_padavano]

That design is not necessarily flawed for an end truss...

I'm afraid it is incorrect for a pole barn. As noted, this (and the one on the other end, according to the OP) are gable end "trusses" designed to sit on top of a stud wall, not supported only at the ends the way they are in a pole barn. I used "trusses" in quotes because these are not really trusses - there are no diagonal members to properly carry loads and distribute stresses. These are designed for the bottom chord to be fully supported on a stud wall. Unfortunately, when ordering trusses, the sales rep will usually assume that you want gable end trusses because most trusses are used over stud wall construction. You have to specify all normal trusses if you are building a pole barn.

 

[JakeKohl]

It looks like it's just checking - i.e., a crummy piece of wood. It's not bowed vertically (looking at the nice picture looking straight down it). Whether or not the trusses are correct, the vertical piece should be pushing down on that cracked cross member so the loading shouldn't lead to that kind of damage - it's not pulling up on it. I would tie it all together with a 1/2" piece of plywood ripped into a 4' x 8' triangle and glue and screw it like a previous poster recommended. If it were bowed from apparent loading, I would be worried...but it's not...so I'm not.

 

[kbs2244]

In that spot I would have expected a “W” truss.

What you have is that center, vertical, board sagging down.
There is no support for it.

It looks like the is a small gap between the bottom chord and the horizontal nailing piece below it?

If you have no plans for an opening at that end, I would measure from the floor to find the correct spacing between each horizontal.
Then fit a custom cut 2x6s between the horizontals right up the center of the wall to the bottom of that top horizontal.
Some jacking will be needed.

In effect, you are building a centered post in the wall.
Then you can force a 2x6 as a spacer between the bottom chord and the top horizontal to support it.

For real support, you can repeat the process between the center post you just built and the two intermediate posts.

In the end you have a sagging ridge at that end due to insufficient support.
I would not be surprised if those four post at that end of the building have been pushed off plumb by the sidewise pressure.