Will gable vents help with creaking attic?

kickout

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Aug 30, 2013
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Add some bracing between the rafters, if you want put some bracing between the wall and the floor joists at a angle see what happens worst is you spend some dollars on lumber and time and give up a little attic floor space.

I would think you wouldn't need the bracing between the rafters because of the sheeting but it won't hurt to add some extra.
good call
Can other people hear the creaking, or its it just you?
Oh its definitely noticeable. Some people have more patience than me though. Sounds like the dang roof gonna blow off.
 
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Donqluione

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Feb 5, 2017
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With a stick-built roof there may not be angle bracing between the roof rafters and attic joists, or it may be inadequate such as 1" stock that can flex, as the roof tries to flatten. If you just want to try stuff, start by adding more bracing with 2" stock. If you don't know what that means, drive by a construction site to see how roof trusses are designed and basically copy that. Attachment is important, to make the bracing as stiff as possible. You won't be able to gangnail like trusses but it would be better to use multiple construction screws rather than a nailgun.

Horizontal bracing (parallel to the eave/ridgeline) could also help, helps prevent the roof from trying to deviate from its rectangle shape.

Simpson ties aka hurricane clips are a good idea and cheap, IF you can access the attachment points. Those help prevent the roof from trying to lift off the house.

BUT, it's possible that the rafters and attic joists are undersized, depending on how old the house is and expertise of the original contractor. That's especially true if the old shingles weren't removed and the weight has thus been significantly increased, might have been borderline before and now the stress is increased. Contractors might not have noticed, not knowing about the shingle load, or perhaps not wanted to be the bearer of bad news, ie major fix and you might think they're trying to scam you, and didn'twantthe job anyway. You could probably do it yourself if you're somewhat handy and don't mind spending considerable time in the oh so pleasant attic environment.

Good luck, hope you're successful in resolving the issue!
 

cycloner29

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I assume there are not broken rafters. We had five broken ones after the deracho a couple years ago. The insurance adjuster didn't even look to see. Even though nails had been pulled out through the shingles. I'm glad I did some detective work and found the damage. When the roofers came They were getting ready to put new sheeting down and told them they had to replace the broken ones. It was even on the contract. Never take anything for granted these days!
 

AgronAlum

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Jul 12, 2014
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I would be wary of changing the attic airflow. If it's in a good equilibrium leave it. Especially if the current setup is soffit intake and ridge cap venting. Adding a gable vent could really disrupt things and create risk for mold, roof damage, etc.

You said new roof 2 years go. So, is it 1 or 2 layers of shingles now? If this past install was an overlay then you've got thousands more pounds sitting on that support structure. Adding some sort of bracing might do the trick, but it's a guess and I can see why contractors can't give you a clear answer for what the best course is. Hard to know without identifying exactly what movement is causing the noise. Could be rafters or joists rubbing on the plate as they shift slightly, rafters twisting, or anything really.

Also, go back in time and plant a tree that will now be big enough to divert the wind around and over the house :)

This. I will reiterate that you do not want to combine ridge vents with gable vents. You can get negative pressure and it will actually pull rain and snow into the attic.
 
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kickout

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This. I will reiterate that you do not want to combine ridge vents with gable vents. You can get negative pressure and it will actually pull rain and snow into the attic.
Good info. The pressure in the attic is insane when the wind blows. Made me believe there was upward pressure causing the creaking
 

AgronAlum

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Good info. The pressure in the attic is insane when the wind blows. Made me believe there was upward pressure causing the creaking

Are your soffit or ridge vents blocked? Did they cover anything up when they did the roof a couple years back?
 

BWRhasnoAC

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It's somewhat difficult to see depending on pitch but are there hurricane ties on the rafters? Best I can think is to just add squash blocks to try and make the surface more rigid.