I've run into similar issues myself. Rafters can definitely be a mixed bag—especially older ones. Sistering works well if the original lumber is solid, but like you said, hidden rot can throw a wrench in things. Personally, I lean toward trusses for new builds or major renovations. They're engineered specifically for load distribution, and you avoid some of those nasty surprises. But hey, nothing beats the charm (and occasional headache...) of working with vintage construction, right?
Had a similar headache when renovating our old farmhouse. Thought sistering would be straightforward until we uncovered rot halfway through—talk about a curveball. Ended up biting the bullet and switching to trusses mid-project. Not as charming, but definitely slept better at night.
Man, reading your post gave me flashbacks to when we bought our first place—a cute little bungalow that turned into a horror show the second we peeked into the attic. Thought we'd just beef up the rafters a bit, easy-peasy, right? Nope. Found out half of them were basically toothpicks held together by spiderwebs and optimism. After a weekend of panic-Googling and stress-eating pizza, we decided trusses were the way to go. Sure, I missed the idea of exposed beams and all that HGTV charm, but honestly, knowing the roof wouldn't cave in during a thunderstorm was worth sacrificing a little style. Plus, now I can joke about how my first DIY project turned into a "DI-why did I do this?" moment...
Haha, your "DI-why" moment hits way too close to home. I get the charm of rafters, but honestly, trusses are underrated—especially when you factor in peace of mind. I've seen some pretty sketchy attic situations myself, and it's amazing how quickly a simple project spirals into a full-blown renovation nightmare. Curious though, did you end up losing much attic storage space after switching to trusses? That's always been my one hesitation...
I feel this so much, haha. I switched to trusses a couple years back after a DIY attic insulation project turned into discovering some pretty sketchy rafter supports (talk about a "fun" surprise...). Honestly, I did lose some storage space, but it wasn't as dramatic as I expected. You just have to get a bit creative with shelving and storage bins. I ended up building some basic plywood platforms between the truss webs—nothing fancy, but it works.
One thing I didn't anticipate was how much easier it is to move around up there now. Rafters always made me feel like I was playing a dangerous game of hopscotch every time I needed something from storage. With trusses, it's way less nerve-wracking.
Have you thought about reinforcing your rafters instead of fully switching? Might save you some cash and keep more storage intact...
