Unsecured Spacers

Question: 

During a home inspection, the inspector stated that the spacers were not secured at the attic trusses. What did the home inspector mean by this?

Answer: 

The home inspector could be referring to a couple of different things with the term “spacers.” Although inadequate alone, sometimes short 22 1/2 in. 1x3, 1x4 or 2x4 spacer pieces of lumber are used between adjacent trusses for temporary bracing. The fact that the spacers are not secured at the attic trusses makes no difference once the permanent bracing is in place (i.e., roof sheathing and ceiling). The home inspector could also be referring to heel blocks. Heel blocking is used to hold the roof system together and aid the trusses in spreading the load across the system. Heel blocking is used extensively in seismic areas. Even if these are insecure, they would probably still be between the trusses, thus allowing the transfer of load.

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