Taut wire between rafters.

[ryanp]

I found something in an attic today that I have not run into it before. Every fourth or fifth rafter there is a taut galvanized wire connecting the rafter on one side of the attic with its mate on the opposite side. This house was built in 1910. It almost looks like barbed wire without the barbs.

[waynesoper]

pics? What you are describing is confusing. Are you taking about the same rafter and it's connection on either side of the home or are the wires running at 90 degrees to the rafters?

[kurt]

I've seen that in old houses; I think it was intended to function as a collar tie.

[hausdok]

I like Kurt's answer but my first impulse, until I heard it was like barbed wire without the barbs, was an old radio antenna.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[kurt]

The old radio antennaes I see are a single continuous piece of wire running down the length of the attic. I've never seen them in pieces like this was described.

[Richard Saunders]

Maybe they had lots of radios.

[hausdok]

Most entenna wire is pretty thin, too. The wire they use for barbed wire is pretty strong stuff. If it were something like that, I can imagine it being used as a tension chord between two rafters.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[ryanp]

pics? What you are describing is confusing. Are you taking about the same rafter and it's connection on either side of the home or are the wires running at 90 degrees to the rafters?

Here is a picture.

Click to Enlarge

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[StevenT]

It is #9 (not sure of name) wire. I use it quite often when building concrete forms. You can also see it used in some chain link fencing (for lateral support).

If you wrap it around two opposing points (creating a loop), take a screwdriver, or any piece of metal, you can twist the wire. The more you twist, the tighter it gets.

I use it in forms to stop them from blowing out. The stuff comes in big rolls.

From the picture, it looks like they were used for collar ties.

Yes, it looks just like barbed wire without the barbs (after being twisted). I'm sure if you look somewhere in the middle, you will see where something was inserted to twist it.

[Bill Kibbel]

I'll bet it was an attempt at a repair and was not done when constructed.

Any sign of the walls leaning out? Any gaps where rafters meet the ridge?

Here's another bailing wire repair:

Click to Enlarge

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