Our timber-framed house is 100 years old, the beams are no longer stable

Hello,

I am new here and I have a question that has been on my mind for months.

My family and I live in an old half-timbered house that will be 100 years old next year. So far, there haven't been any major changes to the house, which hasn't really been necessary until now. Except for new windows.

About 2-3 years ago, a specialist came to look at our roof truss and told my parents that a beam should be replaced because it was already somewhat damp. As I said, that was a few years ago. Until now, nothing has been done, even though I reminded my parents again. They say it is stable and that replacing a beam would be too complicated. Then, in our house, we have 2-3 large cracks that run from the floor up to the ceiling. I also don't know if these could eventually damage the wall, since we live right by a busy road where trucks pass by daily.

I have a lot of concerns about this, and since we're slowly approaching 100 years and this beam issue won't leave my mind, I would like to ask if someone could give me some advice? Can a beam that has never been replaced last over 100 years, or should something really be done urgently before something serious happens? I have a very uneasy feeling about this because I don't know how much longer our house will remain stable as it is now. But as long as my parents don't give the OK, my sister and I can't do much.

Who can help me?

I may not be able to help you from a technical standpoint, but from a purely logical point of view, a beam does not necessarily have an expiration date. In other words, it will not necessarily collapse exactly at midnight upon reaching its 100th year. It can just as well happen after 95 years as after 105 or 150 years. Therefore, there is no need to panic yet. On the other hand, if the expert recommends replacing the beam, he will certainly have his reasons for it, and it would probably make sense to comply with that at some point.

I agree with that. The expert will know what he is talking about, but maybe you should also take a look at the beam and make up your own mind about it. Maybe the beam would hold up until the roof eventually needs to be replaced anyway.