Hot answers tagged

13 votes

How can I temporarily support a ceiling with embedded heat tubing?

It's just not necessary to support the framing from above. Temporary walls are put up under drywall all the time, and the gypsum doesn't crush. Actual plaster certainly won't. Just use a 2x6 or wider ...
  • 115k
4 votes

Are these walls load-bearing?

I can't tell for certain either. But I'm sure the beam that I've circled in yellow is the main load bearing member that runs along the center of your house. One hint here is that the floor joists ...
  • 5,771
3 votes
Accepted

Do I need 2x6 studs in my basement energy walls?

No. 2x6 studs were used to allow R-19 or better insulation in the framed portion of the exterior walls. Unless you want that much insulation below, 2x4 walls are adequate (and standard in my northern ...
  • 115k
3 votes

How can I temporarily support a ceiling with embedded heat tubing?

It might be possible but something you really should have an engineer design. That ceiling sounds heavy with the plaster and tubing. The problem with supporting it from above is the weight pulling ...
  • 16.8k
3 votes

Are these walls load-bearing?

Those shiny folded sheet-steel studs aren't holding anything up, that dodgy looking pine stud doesn't look structural either. I'm seeing multiple hardwood beams connected to the ends of the joists and ...
  • 17.5k
3 votes

16x40 Stick Frame on Monolithic slab - Should it be designed professionally?

TL;DR Yes I am taking this as a Frame Challenge. (Pun intended, of course, but I am actually serious here.) Framing new rooms inside a house - ask for details and get answers and ignore permits - fine ...
2 votes
Accepted

What shape/type of metal strap would you use to strap a collar tie to rafters?

Brackets and straps aren't always the answer. Here they're simply not needed. Just add a few screws. I owned a very similar garage, circa 1958. It experienced many heavy snow years in its lifetime and ...
  • 115k
2 votes

three top plates on wall frame acceptable?

Consider this; Buy 10 ft 2x4s ....................... 120" with 3 " for top and bottom plates, cut to 105" remaining piece is .........................15" cut to 14 1/2 " ...
  • 8,688
2 votes
Accepted

Can I hang drywall from strapping on an open slanted ceiling?

You can certainly support a ceiling that way, but I doubt 1x3 spanning 32" is going to be enough - you'll probably need 2x3, (or a metal support rated for the span) at minimum. I'd suggest adding ...
  • 166k
1 vote

Are these diagonal braces structural?

Since it was build in 1945 chances are they did not have the products of today for the job. It is not cosmetic so it would be structural to keep the homes on left and right leaning to much on your ...
  • 11k
1 vote

Are these walls load-bearing?

My 2 cents. It looks like the joists are notched and sitting on a ledger board? A little odd for a house built in the fifties. If there are steel columns under the main beam, the they should be ...
  • 21
1 vote

three top plates on wall frame acceptable?

If you're worried about economizing on the number of cuts it may be that you're doing the cuts wrong! Fix the miter saw to something: a work bench, a plank, a pair of the 12+ foot 2x4's you'll be ...
  • 23.5k
1 vote

three top plates on wall frame acceptable?

It is only consider a waste of money most times. You will need to consider the cost of 9ft studs to the extra cost of more full length plates. Depending on how you mount/attach the top plate to the ...
  • 16.8k
1 vote

How do I finish half concrete wall in walk out basement without framing

Since you can run cable and put switches and maybe some outlets in the top part of the wall, in this section I'd lay a minimal furring strip floor to ceiling to achieve a uniform face for the drywal, ...
  • 25.2k
1 vote

How do I finish half concrete wall in walk out basement without framing

You need insulation and vapor barrier. Drywall should rarely be attached directly to concrete. I've done it once, but it was on a basement wall under a heated garage where clearance was an issue. &...
  • 115k
1 vote

How to attach a basement wall to weak bouncy joists above it?

If you build the wall so that it supports the floor joists then one problem that could occur is that the floor joist will become a lever. When it sags/bounces in the middle of the long span, the tail ...
  • 23.5k
1 vote
Accepted

Is a ridge beam necessary when doing plank framing for an A-Frame house?

In many designs, a ridge beam is optional - sometimes reduced to a ridge board, sometimes deleted altogether. In others, it's a weight-bearing member that keeps the peak from sinking and pushing the ...
  • 166k

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible