Questions tagged [structural]
Questions about the structure of a building (i.e. moving, adding or repairing walls).
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Tips for installing jack post below joist
I'm looking for some tips installing a jack post. For some background, I recently purchased a house. The previous owners covered a lot of issue and ended up with a terrible home inspector which didn't ...
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What size/type of window header beam do I need?
I'm looking for some help specifying the type and dimensions of a new window header. The biggest complicating issue is that I only have 7.25" of depth to use for the new header.
The goal is to ...
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Scabbing joists
I wanted to remove a load-bearing wall and when I opened it up, I learned that the wall is on top of the basement ceiling joists, one foot away from the steel beam. The structure engineer suggested ...
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Designing to Add Roof over Deck in future
I have built up this sketch on the simpson strongtie deck designer.
I would like to build this deck now, but have the option in the future to cover the main deck area and create a gabled roof/...
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What is the right way to plumb bathroom drainage across small joists?
Finished the demo part of the bathroom remodel to find pretty significant damage to the floor joists caused by the original builder's "design" (see photos/video). Setting aside how I'm going ...
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357
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Temporary supporting rafters in the middle for beam installation
I am intending to remove a load bearing wall that lies between the old perimeter of the house and the new extension.
It is holding the extremities of the old roof rafters as well as a wall holding ...
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154
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Will my garage truss and beam configuration be adequate for a room in the attic?
I am getting ready to finish some of the space above the garage and have some questions. I am located in Pittsburgh, PA.
The garage is sloped on both sides down to the floor. I was going to utilize ...
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Do I need a header for an egress window?
I am in the process of finishing a bedroom in my basement. I need to add a window to the room and the selected wall is poured concrete. I need to know if I have to add a header above the window in the ...
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Is it safe to remove wall framing around washer/dryer closet?
We bought a 100+ year old shotgun style home (single level) about a year ago that has had several frankenstein like additions made to it which is pretty typical for the area we are in.
One of the ...
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Drilled vertically through LVL
I made an absolute fool of myself and drilled a 3/4" hole vertically through Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) when trying to run wires into an attic above an 30" wide exterior window. I ...
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Questions on structural eng drawing for egress window
I am installing an egress window in my basement to make it a legal bedroom. I am going to be doing most of the work myself (outside of cutting the concrete) but doing it by the book (permits, ...
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How to best temporarily support a load bearing wall with very weird sill plate
I'm moving walls in a 1923 home in the northwest, and things have been going well with temporary support walls while I construct new walls. However, there's one bit I'm struggling with that I could ...
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How to improve oddly designed Pergola structure stability?
I recently removed a 1980's hottub set above my deck, this removal caused me to realize some of the exterior hottub seating turned out to be a bit more structural supporting then first thought.
I am ...
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Can I cut through blocking to install light fixture?
I am replacing a light fixture in a bathroom just under 7 feet up on the wall and behind the very shallow electrical box is a blocking 1x4. The fixture we are installing needs about 3 inches of depth.
...
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Mezzanine Floor
I want to install a mezzanine floor that will only be used as a play area for children. The span is 8.7 feet by 9.4 feet.
My plan is to fix 8" x 2" beam to 3 walls and then run 6" x 1.5&...
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Can I cut an opening into the stringer of my staircase to create a doorway?
I am remodeling an old house and am looking to add an additional bathroom that would be accessed through what is currently a storage space under the winder stair case. In order to create sufficient ...
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Unsupported span of 4.3m as a mezzanine floor - what size timber and how to attach it to the walls at either side?
I'm building an internal mezzanine floor in a tall and wide room. The room is 4.3m wide and the mezzanine floor will cover half the room area - so there will be a beam that goes from one wall to the ...
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Structural integrity of enclosed porch - 1950s home with porch enclosed in late 70s
This is regarding a 1950s home with the porch having been enclosed in the late 70s. Located in New York.
It seems they used 2x3s to frame it and they put the new roof over the existing roof (didn't ...
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Western red cedar vs pressure treated / GC timbers for exterior load bearing beams
For exterior exposed load bearing timbers and support beams, is western red cedar sufficiently weather resistant or is ground contact (GC) pressure treated a significantly superior option?
There will ...
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Are nail pops in drywall a sign of structural concerns?
I’ve been noticing more and more mail pops throughout our home. Not sure if they are actually “ongoing” or I just notice them more. I see a lot like the picture below where the nail isn’t protruding ...
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Shower tile cracking horizontally in two corners
I was cleaning my shower today and noticed two new hairline tile cracks (they weren’t there when I cleaned last week). Both are in the third row up and both cracks span the corners. 6 tiles total are ...
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Is this an appropriate roof setup
I am creating a standard A frame roof (4.5:12 or 5:12 pitch) for my shed using rafters and a ridge board. The ridge board is 2x8 and is spanning 14 feet for the length of the shed (12x14). I am using ...
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trimming height of Masonite door
I have acquired a Masonite barn door, without hardware (the rail and roller wheels). It is 84" tall, but the place where I need to install it has an obstruction (on the wall where the door ...
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Replacement supports, removing old partial walls
My old kitchen used to be divided into two rooms with a wall separating the rooms.
At some point, most of wall was removed, however, they kept some portions extending out.
east wall - extension comes ...
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Can I replace two 2x4 jack studs with a steel bracket attached to side of adjacent 6x6 king stud?
As part of my kitchen remodel, I want to move my refrigerator into a closet. In order for the refrigerator to fit width-wise, I need to remove two jack studs on one side of the closet that are ...
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Can I make hole above a lintel for a flue
I'm doing some work on a flat and want to move the boiler higher up than it is. That means putting a flue above the window. The problem is I'm the second to top floor flat. As you can see from the ...
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Can I drill through the bottom plate of this first floor into the basement?
I have a 1905 balloon-framed house in western Washington. I would like to run wiring down the front exterior wall into the basement. I've tried looking up designs for this architectural style but it's ...
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concrete blocks
can you use the large interlocking concrete blocks(1600mmx800mmx800mm) to build a house? Would you use extra cement or would you it be safe and strong with the right structure to withstand hurricanes? ...
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12 x 16 two story Cottage lifting
How do I lift this with three beams? I would like to put in 8 inch round pilings at the end of the beams and lift it on top of those. What can I use as beams? What size? Steel or wood? What about ...
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Can a header be continuous across the whole wall if it is above the top plate?
I have seen that continuous headers can be problematic due to lateral forces. However, in my situation the "header" is actually a 4x6 purlin which is above the top plate.
The original purpose of the ...
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Should I be concerned with the condition of the bearing end for this lintel?
Having stripped back the wallpaper in our living room in preparation for a re-skim of plaster, we have discovered a door which we didn't know existed, right next to the door into the living room from ...
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332
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Can I remove perpendicular ceiling joists in porch
I have porch attached to the exterior wall of the house roof is pitched away from the house:
I am in the process of gutting it and want a vaulted ceiling. There are ceiling joists running ...
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150
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Retrofit Foundation Posts/Beams
Bought a new (old) place and our inspector pointed out beams/posts that need framing/structural straps in the crawlspace. Ballpark estimate I got from a foundation contractor (site unseen) was a $3,...
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Holes through plumbers box (double header in floor joist)
A joist is right where the drain is for the bathtub and I am looking for a solution to do the plumbing. Currently, the plan is to do a 'Plumbers Box' in the floor joists which solves the initial issue....
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635
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Sistering 2x8 joists to existing 2x6 under pitched roof
We are going to be remodeling our attic to create 2 extra bedrooms and a living space.
Currently there are only 2x6 joist in the attic. We are being told that we should sister 2x8s against the ...
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196
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Relocating a toilet without weaking floor joists
Can I drill a 4" hole in 2" x 10" floor joists 3' 6" from end of wall? I'm located in Ontario Canada if this is relevant.
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Can a PSL beam support second story joists all hanging from it
My home is a 2 story home, built in 2003. There is one section in the home that was left open to above with approximately a 20' ceiling in this case. This is over the living/dining areas of the home ...
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126
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Concrete slab between stories
Here in the U.S., pretty much all the houses, even those that are made of brick, have framed floors, meaning there are 2 x (usually 10) joists from one side of the house to the other and then OSB ...
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What aspects of bricklaying are most important structurally vs aesethically
I've seen homes where the mortar is squeezing out between bricks. This appears pretty sloppy must still be structurally sound. It seems that the pointing of the joints is just an aesthetic choice. ...
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DIY Camper, framing advice needed
So my little teardrop trailer plans have changed into a 12'x6' camper so that I can stand in it. I'm in the planning phase still. What I'm doing for the walls is 3 layers; an outer 1/2" board, a ...
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367
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Can these metal ceiling drywall joists be removed?
I recently removed the drywall ceiling from my basement with the intention to leave it as an exposed ceiling. Would I be correct in understanding that the metal ceiling joists (highlighted in blue in ...
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Calculating Tie Plate loading and double shear
I am considering the use of L strap ties from Strong Tie. I will be connecting two 4x4's in an L-configuration. The image at the very bottom-right corner of the below PDF illustrates exactly the ...
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Minor Crawlspace Excavation: Need permits/structural engineer?
Background:
First house, built in the late 60s, bought in October 2014. Original house has crawlspace with combination cinder/concrete foundation. Master bedroom is an addition to the house with a ...
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Is this vertical gap in the concrete block foundation something to worry about?
I'm looking at a home that has a vertical gap or crack running the height of the exposed concrete block foundation. The crack is near the center of the home, about a foot to the right of the concrete ...
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374
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Can I drill diagonally through the top of my beam?
Remodeling our kitchen (and putting it on YouTube so want to make sure I'm right). I need to run 2 new circuits in our kitchen on a half wall so I can't run them down. Basement is open but the bottom ...
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Question the structure weight capacity
previous owner built an attic above the garage w/ a ladder plus shelves on all walls. heaviest items in attic is a container (L24xW16xH12) <20lbs. side wall is holding drums evenly dispersed. ...
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Installing door in a basement window to make a basement walkout
I am making a basement walkout. The door will be installed where there currently is a window. Currently there are 10 inches of concrete on top of the Window, but in order to fit an 80x36 inch door, ...
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Dirt mound in center of crawl space - Why?
There is a dirt mound towards the center of my crawl space area, and it drops of towards the foundation wall. Is this common, and what is the reason for it? My thoughts are possibly for flooding ...
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How can I jack up a header for replacement?
I am trying to replace the header of a load bearing wall above some pocket doors. I have already done the header over the other set of doors on the other end of the room with no issues. However, when ...
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Roof Structural Issues
We are in the process of buying a house and our inspection report came back with some separation in the trusses of the roof on one side of the home.
I don't anything about roofs. Can someone provide ...
