The tie beam in what would have been number 9 needs to be replaced. Although it is original, it doesn’t match the others and it is much smaller, particularly at the one end. We weren’t sure if it was original, but the carpenter tells me that it definitely is. It is effectively an old oak tree that has been straightened a bit, but is definitely smaller at one end than the other. Presumably, the smaller end being the top of the tree.
King post truss in number 9. The tie beam is the large horizontal beam at the bottom of the truss.
This is the old kitchen (downstairs) and bathroom (upstairs) in number 10. You can just see the king post truss in the top left corner for number 10, and through the upstairs doorway you can see the king post truss for number 9.
We have acquired a reclaimed beam to replace it. The timber came from Ribble Reclamation (http://www.ribble-reclamation.co.uk/) in Preston who had a large range of oak beams in stock. We believe that this particular piece of oak came from France.
The initial plan was to take the roof apart and lift the king post truss out of the roof and to repair at ground level. Andy, the carpenter, came up with a better way.
The first step is to install a temporary tie beam above the existing one. This is simply bolted through the existing frame. Once this is in place, the existing tie beam can be removed. The simplest way to do this is to cut it into pieces. However, the existing tie beam is going to be used as a pattern to make the new tie beam from, so it is much better to keep it in one piece.
In one case, Andy removed the bricks from underneath each end of the tie beam allowing the beam to drop out of each of the tenon joints. The beam was then slid out of position with the aid of a rope tied to the telehandler.
Once the old beam is on the ground, the new reclaimed piece of timber is lined up side by side and the slots for the struts and the king post marked out. The new timber is then cut to length.
Once prepped, the timber is lifted onto the scaffold using the telehandler. A rope is then tied to the middle of the timber and the other end onto the forks of the telehandler. This allows the beam to be swung into position (which is not quite as easy as it sounds). Once in position, the wall is bricked up underneath the beam to hold it in place. The temporary tie beam can then be removed.
All in all, this took a couple of days to remove the old one, make a new one and install it.
One thing that Andy did say is that in the old days the carpenters would often put a coin in the bottom of the slot for one of the struts. A sort of good luck charm. We checked the old truss and there was no sign. The coin must be in one of the other trusses!
The old tie beam (the one on the right) is used as a pattern for the new tie beam (the one of the left).
The original beam with the slot for the king post (below) and the new beam with a new slot.
Lifting the tie beam into position using the telehandler
Lifting the tie beam over the scaffolding
Tie a rope around it and lift it up in the air
Pushing the timber into position a bit at a time
After all that hard work, the tie beam is finally in place. It matches the tie beams on the other trusses.