What is a Purlin?

  1. Zarah from London
  2. Surveying Advice questions and answers

Question

My surveyor has said that he hasn't been able to get full access to all of the purlins. What is he talking about?

Answer

A purlin is a horizontal timber within the roof space supporting the undersides of the rafters approximately midway. The purlins to each roof slope are usually supported in turn by diagonal timber struts which transfer the roof load down onto a load bearing internal partition. 


reallymoving comment:

Purlins are visible from the loft space of a property, therefore small loft hatches or limited lighting in the loft can often causing problems for the surveyors to gain access to the area. Problems can also be caused by items obstructing access or visibility of the purlins.

Purlins are usually checked by surveyors for deflection, bowing, or in some cases, whether there are any splits in the timber.

The team at

The team at

reallymoving.com

Ask a question

Ready to get quotes?

Up to 4 instant quotes from RICS Registered Surveyors

Get surveyor quotes

We've already helped over 2,882,913 movers

13,038 user reviews

Excellent and efficient family company. They arranged the survey quickly even though they were on holiday when I made the quote request. Professional and detailed report and the phone call we had was also very instructive.

Oscar on 06/09/2024

As featured in