my roof is sagging all over, ive just been up in the attic to take a look and noticed there isnt many beams holding it apart from one piece in the centre but its only 3ft by 2ft my beams are also chocked up to the roof and most of it looks damp, how many beams should there be holding my roof up.

dagzy, November 2010

If a pitched back and front roof then across the rafters in the loft should be a 'purlin' a horizontal usually 6 x 3 beam with support struts 3x 2 coming down to the centre wall against a wall plate nailed to ceiling joists. Same for the back roof there should be on a large span at least two to each purlin and each end of the purlins should be on corbeled bricks or again struts. It may be some bird brain before you took out the struts and purlins.... Only a guess as I cannot see the structure. You could get your local council building control structural engineer to call but there may be a charge for this check before the roof gets worse.

Bob, November 2010