inspectorD

I know this house...
My second house, which is on my website was a 1740 saltbox colonian. Same issues.
I brought it up to date and improved the insulation.On that subject, you need to allow some extra room on the sloped rafters section for some prop-a-vent type of ventilation into the upper attic.This may mean building or furring down the rafters in this area to accept at least some insulation without touching the roof deck.I would use a rigid foam insulation in these areas, it works better and you can hold it off the roof deck with some strips of wood to create the air space.
This is an important area because it holds the most wieght of the ceiling joists.Hate to see this area become damaged.

So the house does not have a ridge beam i'm guessing?
Mortised at the top of the rafters with pegs?
If so I would give them a look and make sure everyone is tight.Then install the collar ties up towards the top to keep anyone from moving.Im' not to concerned about loads on the roof from wieght, more of a wind load thing to keep movement down.

Good luck on your project, been there got the T shirt.....

__________________
Just My
Made in the

Porter418

Yup, mortised w/ pegs and no roof beam. Glad to hear someone else has been through this before.
Hadn't thought about the eves insulation. Heck, I'm still vacuming up the cellulose I pulled down......Food for thought though.
I was thinking of cutting 3/4 ply "triangles" to attach on both sides of the rafters at the peaks. Saw that in a friends house which is of like age which had been installed by a local, long time, old house contractor. Don't know if they'll help but doub't they'll hurt.

I'm not overly concerned with snow load. The house has a standing seam metal roof and in the fifteen years I've been here I can't recall much snow up on it......Although the furnaces chimney was knocked over by a pileup behind it when it let loose several years ago. I think they corrected the problem when they had to put up a new chimey in February . For the life of me I can't figure out why they put the chimney on the pitched side in the first place.