Renovation 4th Edition

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Renovation 4th Edition Page 49

by Michael Litchfield

 Building a temporary stud wall is simi-

  lar: Tack-nail the top plates, then plumb down to

  mark the bottom plate. (To keep the bottom plate

  in place, tack-nail it to the joists underneath.) Cut

  studs 1⁄4 in. longer than the distance between the

  plates because, here, the studs do the lifting.

  Toenail the studs to the top plate on 16-in. or

  24-in. centers. Then use a sledge to rap the bottom

  of each stud until the stud is plumb. recheck each

  stud for plumb as you progress, and monitor them

  periodically.

  Once shoring supports the loads above, remove

  the studs from the bearing wall as needed to

  enlarge openings, add headers, and the like. if the

  bearing wall transfers loads from upper stories

  down into girders or foundation walls, study the

  lengthy section on jacking and shoring in chapter 10

  beginning on p. 237.

  Structural Carpentry

  209

  Structural Remodeling

  iS iT a bearing Wall?

  Once shoring is in place, it should be safe to

  remove bearing walls. Check with a structural

  As noted in “Exploring Your options” on p. 183,

  engineer if you have any doubts. Again, wear

  bearing walls and girders usually run parallel to

  safety gear (hard hat, eye protection, work boots

  the roof ridge and perpendicular to the joists

  with thick soles), and test the electrical outlets to

  and rafters they support. And in most two-story

  be sure the power is off. If you need to do any

  jacking, read chapter 10.

  houses, joists usually run in the same direction

  from floor to floor.

  Framing a dOOr

  Things get tricky, however, when rooms have

  Or windOw OPening

  been added piecemeal and when previous remod-

  elers used nonstandard framing methods. For

  After cutting back interior surfaces to expose the

  that, you’ll need to explore. use an electronic

  framing in the exterior wall, outline the RO by

  stud finder or note which way the heating ducts

  snapping chalklines across the edges of studs. If

  run (usually between joists) to figure out joist

  you can incorporate existing studs into the new

  direction. If all else fails, go into a closet, pantry,

  opening—an old stud might become the king stud

  of the new opening, as shown in the right photo

  or another inconspicuous location, and cut a small

  on p. 198—you can save time and materials.

  hole in the ceiling to see which way joists run.

  Finally, nonbearing walls sometimes become

  To remove old studs within the new opening,

  bearing walls when homeowners place heavy

  use a sledge to rap the top plate upward, thus

  furniture, bookshelves, appliances, or tubs

  creating a small gap above the studs (and old

  above them. If floors deflect—slope down-

  header, if any). That should create enough space

  to slip in a metal-cutting reciprocating-saw blade

  ward—noticeably toward the base of such walls,

  and cut through nails holding the studs to the top

  they’re probably bearing.

  P R O T I P

  plate. Although sheathing or siding may be nailed

  to the studs, they should still pull out easily.

  Today, rough openings are

  Start framing the new opening by toenailing

  usually 821⁄2 in. high, which

  the king stud on both sides, using three 10d nails

  accommodates a standard 6-ft.

  or four 8d nails top and bottom. Laminate the

  8-in. preframed door. but if your

  reciprocating saw. Or, if you want to strip most of

  house is nonstandard, try to line

  header package or cut it from 4x stock. (The pro-

  the siding in the affected area first, drill a hole

  up new or enlarged openings in

  cedures described here employ terms illustrated

  through each corner of the RO. Outside, snap

  exterior walls to the tops of

  in “Stud-Wall Elements” on p. 187. Precut the

  chalklines through the four holes. Remove siding

  existing doors and windows. The

  jack studs, and face-nail one to a king stud; lean

  within that opening—plus the width of the new

  underside of a new header will

  the second near the other side of the opening.

  exterior casing around all four sides. Nail the

  usually be 2 in. to 21⁄2 in. above

  Place one end of the header atop the jack stud in

  sheathing to the edges of the new frame. Finally,

  the window or door frame, but

  place. Then slide the second jack under the free

  run a reciprocating saw along the chalklines to cut

  check your unit’s installation

  end of the header. Raise the header by tapping

  sheathing flush to the edges of the RO. Now you’re

  instructions.

  the second jack into place. Or, as an alternative,

  ready to flash the opening and install the door or

  you can use a screw jack to hold the header flush window. Chapter 6 will guide you from there.

  to the underside of the top plate. Check for level,

  then measure and cut both jack studs to length.

  rePlaCing a bearing wall

  if there are cripple studs over the header, nail

  Bearing-wall replacements should be designed by

  up one jack stud, use a level to establish the

  a structural engineer and executed by a contractor

  height of the jack stud on the second side, and

  adept at erecting shoring and handling heavy loads

  nail it up. Install the header, then cut the cripple

  in tight spaces. In the two methods presented in

  studs to length and install them. If you’re fram-

  the following text, beam-and-post systems replace

  ing a window opening, there will also be cripple

  bearing stud walls. In the first method, the bearing

  studs under the sill. So level and install the sill

  beam is exposed because it supports joists. In the

  next, using four 8d nails on both sides for toe-

  second method, the beam is hidden in the ceiling,

  nailing the sill ends to the jack studs. End-nail

  and joist hangers attach joists to the beam.

  through the sill into the top of the cripple studs;

  Once you’ve cut electrical power to the affected

  toenail the bottoms of the cripple studs to the

  area, installed shoring on both sides of the exist-

  sole plate.

  ing bearing wall, and inserted blocking under

  To mark the rough opening outside, cut

  support post locations, you’re ready to remove

  through the sheathing and the siding, using a

  the bearing wall and replace it with a new beam.

  210 Chapter 8

  However, if you’re installing a hidden beam, your

  job will be easier if you leave the old wall in place

  a bit longer to steady the joist ends as you cut

  Height of notch equals

  zzzzzz Supporting an exposed beam

  through them.

  Exposed beam

  thickness of top plate.

  (2x10 or 2x1
2

  installing an exposed beam is the easier of the

  built-up beam)

  two methods. Because ceiling joists sit atop an

  exposed beam, it’s not necessary to cut the

  4x4 post

  Doubled top plate

  joists—as it is when installing a hidden beam.

  After removing the bearing wall, snap chalklines

  on the ceiling to indicate the width of the new

  Stud face-nailed

  beam—say, 41⁄

  to post

  2 in. wide for a beam laminated

  from three 2x10s or 2x12s. Cut out the finish sur-

  faces within this 41⁄2-in.-wide slot so the joists can

  sit directly on the beam. Chances are, the slot

  Second stud

  won’t need to be much wider than the width of

  “captures”

  the top plate of the wall just removed.

  beam

  Doubled 2x8 blocking

  transfers post loads

  Because the beam extends into end walls, notch

  to girder.

  the beam ends so they will fit under the end-wall

  top plates, which may also support joists. Notch-

  ing ensures that the top of the beam, the top

  Subfloor

  plates, and the bottom of the ceiling joists will be

  the same height. If end walls have doubled top

  plates, the notch will be 3 in. to 4 in. deep. Before

  notching the beam, eyeball it for crown and place

  2x8 joist

  it crown up. Before raising the beam, be sure to

  Sole plate

  have blocking under each post to ensure a con-

  tinuous load path down to the foundation.

  Girder

  A laminated 2x12 beam can weigh 250 lb., so

  have enough helpers to raise it safely. Once the

  top of the beam is in place, flush to the underside

  of the joists above, temporarily support it with

  plumbed screw jacks or 2x4s cut 3⁄

  After notching and then raising an exposed beam with jacks, cut 4x4

  4 in. long and

  wedged beneath the beam—have workers tack-

  posts to support it at both ends. There must also be blocking under each

  nail and monitor the 2x4s so they can’t kick out.

  post to transfer post loads to the girder and other foundation elements.

  (Put 2x plates beneath the jacks or the wedged

  2x4s to avoid damaging finish flooring.)

  Measure from the underside of the new

  exposed beam to the floor or subfloor. Then cut

  4x4 posts slightly longer than the height of the

  opening, and use a sledgehammer to tap them

  into place. (Ideally, cut posts the exact length, but

  a little long is preferable to a little short.) Plumb

  the posts, and install metal connectors such as

  Simpson Strong-Tie A-23 anchors to secure the

  post ends to the top and sole plates. Add studs to

  both sides of each post, as shown in “Supporting

  an Exposed Beam” at right to “capture” it and

  keep it from moving; nail these studs to the plates

  and to the 4x4s as well.

  installing a hidden beam (see photo at right)

  takes more work than installing an exposed beam

  but yields a smooth ceiling. To summarize, after

  erecting stud-wall shoring on both sides of the

  bearing wall to be replaced, cut all the ceiling

  joists to create a slot for the hidden beam, assem-

  As a chain fall and a nylon sling support one end of the beam, master builder John Michael Davis

  ble the beam on the ground, and then lift it into

  and his helper lower the other end into the tight space between newly cut joist ends. Both ends of

  place. Here, joists will hang from the sides of the

  the beam will sit on a doubled-top-plate-and-post assembly that transfers loads down to

  foundation components.

  Structural Carpentry

  211

  1. Make the attic workspace safe and comfort-

  able. Place 2-in.-thick planks or 5⁄8-in. plywood

  walkways on both sides of the area where you’ll

  zzzzzz Hidden beam

  New built-up

  Existing ceiling joists

  or engineered beam

  insert the beam. Tack-nail the walkways so they

  flush to beam

  can’t drift. Clamp work lights to the underside of

  rafters, and add a fan to get some air moving.

  Framing anchors

  Even in winter, it can be pretty hot in an attic. If

  roofing nails protrude from the underside of roof

  sheathing, wear a hard hat.

  If there’s enough room in the attic, assemble

  the beam in place and lower it down into the slot

  you’ll create by cutting back joist ends. However,

  if you must assemble the beam on the floor

  Existing top plates

  below—or if you’re raising an engineered beam—

  “Let-in” joist hanger

  use a nylon web sling and a chain fall (see the

  flush to joist edge

  photo on p. 211) bolted through the rafters to

  raise the beam up through the cutout in the ceil-

  ing. Angle-brace rafters to keep them from

  deflecting under the load, and don’t attach a

  chain fall to rafters that are cracked or already

  sagging.

  New 4x4 post

  2. Snap a chalkline to mark the beam location

  Existing 2x4

  onto the top edges of joists. Snap a first line to

  mark the centerline of the beam. Then measure

  out half the beam width plus 1⁄8 in. on both sides,

  and snap chalklines to indicate cutlines on the

  New blocking

  Subfloor

  Girder

  joists. Using a square, extend these lines down

  the face of each joist. Use vivid chalk so the

  marks will be visible.

  Checking The loaD PaTh

  A hidden beam al ows you to remove a bearing wal and stil have a smooth

  Because loads will be concentrated on support

  expanse of ceiling. A continuous load path—from the beam, through the

  posts beneath each end of the new beam, those

  posts, to the foundation—is crucial to a successful installation.

  posts must be supported continuously all the

  way down to girders and to concrete pads, foot-

  ings, or foundation walls. To make sure there is

  beam rather than sitting atop it, so the hidden

  adequate support below proposed post loca-

  beam will rest on top of end-wall top plates.

  Install 4x4 posts between the top and the sole

  tions, strip the bearing wall to its studs and

  P R O T I P

  plates—and blocking under the posts—before

  insert shoring along both sides before removing

  raising the beam. Snap chalklines on the ceiling

  corner studs at both ends of the bearing wall.

  before attaching joist hang-

  to indicate the width of the beam plus 4 in. extra

  Leave the rest of the wall alone for now.

  ers, make a single pass of a power

  on each side so you can slide joist hangers in

  using a long auger bit (18 in. by 3⁄8 in.), drill

  plane across the underside of

  later. Cut out drywall or plaster within that slot to

  down through a sole plate at each end, where a


  each joist end where it abuts the

  open up the ceiling and expose joists. After

  post will stand. (In fact, the posts may be hidden

  new beam. The planed area,

  installing shoring, as explained in earlier sec-

  in end walls at either end of the bearing wall.) If

  roughly the width and thickness

  tions, go into the attic. You could use the same

  the bit hits a girder, posts should have adequate

  of a joist hanger “stirrup,” ensures

  method to replace a bearing wall on the first

  support. But if the bit hits air or only a single

  that the joist hangers will be flush

  floor of a two-story house, but that would involve

  joist, add solid blocking. That blocking may be a

  to the bottom of the joists and

  tearing up the finish floor above to expose the

  the beam and that the patched

  6x6 atop a girder or a new post and concrete

  floor joists and making an unholy mess. If you’re

  ceiling will be evenly flat.

  footing—but let a structural engineer decide. Fit

  gutting the house anyhow, that might not be a

  the blocking tight to the underside of the sub-

  big problem.

  flooring beneath the posts so there can be no

  deflection when loads are transferred to them.

  212 Chapter 8

  Because thin reciprocating-saw blades wan-

  der, use a circular saw to ensure square cuts

  Heavy metal

  across joists. It’s hard to see the cutline of a saw

  you’re lowering between two joists, so clamp a

  Steel connectors are an important part of renovation carpentry, often joining

  framing square to each joist to act as a guide for

  new and old framing members.

  the saw shoe. Some renovators prefer a small

  Straps such as Simpson Strong-Tie lSTa strap ties are frequently used where wall

  chainsaw for this operation, but hitting a single

  plates are cut, at wal intersections, and as ridge ties. Pros often use them to splice

  hidden nail in a joist can snap a chainsaw blade

  new rafter tails to existing rafters (top photo below) to replace sections that rotted at

  and send it flying. Whatever you use to cut the

  the wal plate. after cutting rafter tails at the correct angle, toenail them to the top

  joists, wear hearing and eye protection, and, ide-

  plate, and use 12-in. or 18-in. strap ties to tie new tails to the existing rafters. after

  ally, have a similarly protected helper nearby

  shining a light into the cut area.

  the sheathing is nailed on, such reinforced rafter tails wil stay in line indefinitely.

 

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