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I'm rebuilding a wooden structure on a brick base, approx 5x3m footprint.

The main frame is built of 6x3" timber, to increase rigidity we have added corner braces in each direction, at the ends of each wall:

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However these braces at the 'open' end which gets all the sunlight get in the way of where I would like large windows - the original plan was one end would be mostly glass and the other end would be timber clad.

My question is, given I need 4 corner braces on each long wall, do they need to be at opposite ends or could they be anywhere:

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Lines in green represent the current design - one brace in each corner of the wall. Orange/red are alternative positions for the right-hand braces I am wondering about, so that I don't 'block' the end where I would like large windows.

Alternatives to large cross-braces are also of interest.

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  • Took a moment to establish what you're depicting in the diagram - we're looking at it top down, plan view right? I.e. the question is "can corner braces go on ceiling supports"
    – Luke Briggs
    Aug 3, 2022 at 16:20
  • Gut instinct would be to flip the orange ones to be symmetrical to the red, so you maintain braces in both directions aas the green are, not all the same direction.
    – Ecnerwal
    Aug 3, 2022 at 16:46
  • Forces(wind) usually act on the outside, so braces are put there to hold. Can put the braces towards the centre more. Imagine an engineer can show a formula if the same or less strength would happen. There might be different types of bracing that would work better for you. Do need the braces to be same directions as the green ones, either inside or outside of the centre box.
    – crip659
    Aug 3, 2022 at 20:16
  • who says you need to use corner braces instead of some other style of bracing?
    – Jasen
    Aug 4, 2022 at 5:02
  • @LukeBriggs no this is a side view of the long wall - in the photos you can see bracings currently in each corner and I'm wondering if I can just brace one 'cell' to get the same effect
    – Mr. Boy
    Aug 4, 2022 at 11:44

1 Answer 1

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You can thoroughly brace two adjacent walls and join the top corners of the structure with long diagonals above the ceiling joists. This will provide a structure so rigid that the other two walls will require no internal diagonal bracing at all.

The long ceiling diagonals can be made of several butted and tied boards. Tack them to the ceiling joists to keep them straight under compression, and make sure the tie plates can take a ton of tension.

To answer your direct question, a diagonal wall brace provides the same stiffening force when placed in any cell along the wall.

If you use the ceiling brace technique, you may consider that a diagonal wall brace provides the same stiffening force when placed in any cell along the wall, or in any cell along the parallel wall on the other side of the room.

Of course, relying on one side of the building to brace the other side will theoretically produce a slightly flabbier structure, but with the materials and dimensions indicated in your photo, I don't think you'd see a measurable difference.

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