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Rough Carpentry Questions:

Truss Support:

Question:

What is the best way to fasten the strap to the existing truss? The existing roof is a hip connecting to the addition with conventional valley to the engineered truss.

Answer:

I believe that Simpson Strong Tie makes an offset strap in various lengths for this purpose but I have also used blocked gussets made with plywood and sandwiched 2x6's that span between joist and rafter, placed at junction points and bolted together. Gordon

Temporary Rafter and Joist Supports:

Hello, we live in Canada and want to know if there are temporary adjustable posts that we can buy to support rafters and or floor joists? If so what are they called?

Answer:

How temporary is this, for future construction or what? Simpson Strong Tie makes an adjustable metal base (AB series) that fits on the bottom 4x4 post for shoring up structures, it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish, and for how long, write me back if you can't find a similar product, Gordon

Structural Beam Replacement:

Question:

Before we purchased our house, the previous owner had taken down a load bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room. This left a large wooden beam sticking out of the ceiling. It also seems that the beam does not run the full length of the house, but stops less than half way. I assume that there is a post it is resting on within the wall. This large beam has been cracking and twisting over the past 15 years and is now beginning to crack the drywall. We are having it replaced and the contractor has suggested recessing a new beam into the upstairs floor joists and using joist hangers. Then he will put a new post in to support the end and also a structural column down in the basement directly under that new post. Does this approach seem correct?

Answer:

Yes it does, as long as the hangers are adequate and nailed correctly then all should be good. A good idea would be to draw out the design and go to the building dept. and ask them their opinion. If you already have permits then they will probably ok the job, as the application your builder has suggested is sound. It is always best to have permits for insurance purposes if a problem arises down the line. Gordon

Framing in Heating Duct Work:

Question:

I am finishing my basement and trying to figure out how to frame duct work in a basement.

Answer:

Unfortunately there is not a lot you can do that is going to make it disappear. 1) Box it in with 1x framing, put corner bead and then drywall it or 2) like they do in fancy restaurants, mall etc.. Paint it a different color for the Nuevo industrial look. 3) A blend of the two? Like I said ducting in basements was never really meant to be hidden unless you pre-planned the basement conversion from the get go. Gordon

Floor joists are lifting:

Question:

My house has an overhang and the floor joists that extend from the foundations dropped over the winter due to the massive snow fall. As a result the floor joists on the interior have begun to lift like a teeter-totter. How do I fix this?

Answer:

Good Morning. The only real fix to your problem is to jack up the subject joists and shim under them to re-establish the proper grade. It's not and easy job and so I would recommend you hiring a professional unless you are confident in you own skills. Perhaps a call to your insurance company might be prudent as this condition is pretty major and shouldn't be happening and could worsen as time goes on. Good luck, Gordon

Jack Posts:

Question:

My house is built on a concrete slab. The house is 24 x 40 bungalow style. The floor system is constructed from 2 x 6 on top of the slab. If I wanted to raise my house and put a basement under it how many jack posts would I have to use or how far apart would they have to be? Is there anything I could do to avoid using posts at all.

Answer:

With out the opportunity to visually inspect your home it is virtually impossible to suggest any spans or number of posts needed to adequately re-create a higher foundation base. One technique that I have used is to locate the basement in an open floor space area, re-framing around the perimeter, excavating that area alone, forming your retaining walls and stairs and finally closing the floor back up after all the work is completed. It sure saves a lot of time and effort if you are not planning to basement the whole space? Hope this makes sense and is a practical solution to your project. Gordon

Replacing a sub floor around a bathtub:

Question:

I was just wondering what tools would be required to do the job of replacing a sub floor in a mobile home.

Answer:

A hammer, a circular saw for cutting out the bad floor and cutting the new flooring pieces. A straight edge, measuring tape, caulking gun for adhesive, a 6 inch stiff putty knife for patching any gaps, a cats paw for removing the old nails, some ring shank nails to re-attach the new boards. I think that about does it, I have a 14 x 6 trailer full of tools so everything is right there for me. Hope this helps, Gordon