Questions tagged [structural]
Questions about the structure of a building (i.e. moving, adding or repairing walls).
31
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Are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?
Other than looking up blue prints, which many homeowners may not have, are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?
Methods I can think of might include:
Going up in the attic to check if ...
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3
votes
3
answers
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What is the right way to mount a support column to a deck and to a header?
Situation: I have an existing deck with a roof overhang. I'm in the process of planning a rebuild and need to detail how the columns will A: attach to the existing roof and B: to the deck. I can find ...
- 131
3
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2
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Floating wall mounted office desk
I'm currently about to embark on redeveloping my home office.
We have a room with a small alcove and want to mount a desk top inside it. The approx size is 220cm x 80cm
We can source the wood we ...
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15
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5
answers
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How do I improve Pergola Stability?
The deck is nearly finished but I have a small structural problem with the pergola. A left or right force near the top of the pergola (such a a tall person leaning on the post) leads to a bit of ...
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81
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Is there a case where nails are better than screws, from an engineering/structural standpoint?
Is there a case where nails are better than screws, from a structural standpoint?
For instance: Say you used screws instead of nails on a backyard deck, when the design specifically called for nails. ...
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3
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Is notching a flange on an I-Joist ever acceptable?
My home builder said that the following notch in a flange on an I-Joist was acceptable, but I've read that you're never supposed to do so. Is that true?
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4
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1
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How Do I Frame an Opening in My Bathroom Floor
I am fixing termite eaten and improperly spaced joists in my home. I need to create space for the bathtub drain fixtures, which are currently riding right up on a joist that runs under the bathtub, ...
- 43
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3
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Hanging heavy bag from I-joists
I have wooden I-beams in my basement ceiling that support the floor above (see attached picture), and I want to hang a 100 lb sandbag from these I-beams. As far as I can tell, the beams are made of ...
- 21
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1
answer
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Why can I feel my seven pound cat walking across floor of my home?
The house is only 9 years old. (I am the second owner) I know they settle but in the last year I can feel all movement across the floor- year ago I could barely feel anything but did notice that ...
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5
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Is it unsafe to remove one stud from a load bearing wall?
I need to cut a hole for a recessed medicine cabinet. This wall is at the end of the house. I only need to cut one stud to make a frame for the cabinet. Will this damage the integrity of the bearing ...
- 289
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1
answer
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Is my rapidly failing foundation dangerous?
I'll be succinct. I'm afraid we're having a full structural failure. Over the past week, crack after crack has been appearing in our plaster and walls. I'm honestly concerned for our safety.
Our ...
- 353
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1
answer
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Can I raise a sagging shed roof by winching the walls back into place?
TL;DR
Can I fix the sag by slowly jacking up the ridge, simultaneously tightening some steel cables attached to the top of each wall?
Measuring between the top of the wall and the top of the ridge, ...
- 237
9
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3
answers
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How can I choose the best lag screw / lag bolt?
I will be fastening Unistrut vertically along studs to facilitate garage storage, and want some guidance on choosing the "best" lag bolts to use.
I want them large enough to handle hundreds of pounds ...
8
votes
1
answer
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Is my attic floor over my garage strong enough to use it for storage and maybe as a small work area?
I would like to use the attic space above my 2-car garage for storage of items around the house and garage, and if possible, utilize some of the space as a small work area. The previous owners left ...
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5
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Can I put a 6" hole in this ceiling joist?
I'm working on my kitchen to add a range hood that goes outside the house. I'm putting the 6" exhaust pipe in my ceiling, between my 1st and 2nd floor, going in the direction of the ceiling ...
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votes
1
answer
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Should I worry about sagging joists?
I have a two story house and some of the joists between the floors are sagging about an inch or two. When I walk around upstairs I can feel the level difference and downstairs you can slightly see the ...
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2
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Could I cut out the affected area in a termite damaged joist or would I need to replace the whole joist if it's rotted at the end
So I have a 2x10 floor joist that's only about 5 feet long (short because it only spans a rounded part of my house) which has termite damage at one end for about 1.5 feet. The damage is on the ...
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1
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What is involved in enlarging a concrete garage door opening?
I have a concrete garage with an opening measuring 99" wide by 85" high. There is 10" of concrete from the door opening to the left and right walls and about 1' above. All walls are 8" thick and ...
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1
answer
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Are these drywall blisters normal settling, or is there something wrong?
My house is two-story wood frame construction, built in 1979, with an addition that was put on some time in the (I think late) 1980s.
Recently I have noticed several blisters in the drywall, as shown ...
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3
votes
1
answer
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Proper backfill for a trench dug below foundation level (within the 45 degree cone of support)
Given a trench dug below foundation level, what's the proper way to backfill? Here I'm talking about a trench below the bottom edge of an unreinforced concrete foundation built in 1950, supporting a ...
- 10.7k
2
votes
1
answer
254
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Exterior wall framing - Safe to remove 2x4 that was part of soffit/bulkhead?
I've removed all the soffits in my kitchen, however, there is one 2x4 that I have left until I could consult someone more knowledgeable. I'm thinking the 2x4 was there just to hang the drywall ...
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2
votes
1
answer
760
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Is this drywall cracking a structural problem?
I have a multifloor condo, with garage first floor, living space second floor, bedrooms third floor. At the corner stairs from second floor to first floor, the drywall is cracking (and seems to be ...
- 383
2
votes
2
answers
4k
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Need help reinforcing a pergola
We built a pergola last fall and are noticing some wiggle in the structure.
The columns are bolted into deepened edges of a concrete slab, But we did not want traditional brackets at the column to ...
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2
votes
1
answer
247
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Structural engineer recommends fix
I asked a question a few weeks ago about a diagonal crack in one of our main support beams in our basement. With your advise I ended up have a structural engineer come take a look at it and he ...
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1
vote
1
answer
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Are Steel SIPs Structural?
I am from the Caribbean and we have a lot of termites so OSB SIPs are not an option, my question is this, are steel SIPs Structural like OSB SIPs?
SIP = Structural Insulated panels.
EPS = Expanded ...
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1
vote
1
answer
671
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Add storage to hidden attic space above garage?
I recently discovered that I have an unfinished attic in a guest bedroom on the second floor of my house, above the garage. The overall area is behind the closet in the bedroom and is approximately ...
- 141
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vote
1
answer
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Need help evaluating damage to pergola post
I have a 10-year-old cedar pergola (see picture) and I just discovered some moisture and carpenter ant damage in the base of posts. The damage had been hidden beneath decorative base caps. I scraped ...
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0
votes
1
answer
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Trying to see if wall I removed 1.5 years ago was load bearing [duplicate]
We bought a house awhile back and removed a wall we think was there to divide the kitchen from the dining room. We wanted a more open concept. Just want some assurance the wall was not load bearing. ...
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2
answers
2k
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Roof eave missing knee brace - how to mitigate problems as snow season approaches?
Photos at the end of the post.
On an old house (new to me and my partner) there are ~2' eaves extending all around the house, supported by knee braces made of 6"x6" beams and a few 2"x4"s. Inspecting ...
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0
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2
answers
3k
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Structural (cored) bricks for a patio?
I have the opportunity to purchase some pallets of structural bricks, the cored ones with three holes in them. I want to use them to build a patio but I live in Ohio where the winters can get harsh. ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
395
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Floor frame for 8' wide shed is 3" too wide on either side
I'm currently building an 8' x 13.5' shed with a loft. Here is what it is supposed to look like (according to the plan):
For a few reasons, the floor frame is too wide. I poured the piers slightly ...
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