Repairs: roofs and rainwater goods

Older roofs (pre-Second World War typically) may use a poling board detail. This seems to be a regional favourite; it is certainly common on the south coast.

The rafters are fixed to the poling board, which can sometimes slide on the rafters (any fixings, if there were any, having parted company long ago).

A tell-tale sign of an advanced problem is bulging of the fascia board or heavily gapped soffits at the face of the wall suggesting the rafters are now starting to nudge their way outwards.

Solution

Poling boards can normally be secured with screws skewed in at an angle, or with a galvanised mild steel strap lapped over the board and screwed to both the ceiling joists and the poling board (and sometimes also to the rafters).