Hello everyone. I am an owner builder in NJ planning to build my house this year and drafting my own drawings. as seen on 2 images attached, I am planning to have diagonal exterior wall (2 x 6 studs). at the top corner, it is extending 5′-6″ from the face of front wall. I am not sure how will this be structurally supported. what kind of bracing or framing will be required here? can i put some kind of metal plate at the roof level to extend that wall? if required, i can run 2×6 studs exposed pressure treated to go all the way down to the ground. Please let me know if you need any other information. really appreciate the help here.
Replies
Interesting.
You probably want to have a local engineer weigh in.
Is there a reason you want this, and want it to extend over the roof as well? Doing so will complicate the roof, requiring flashing, and treatment of the top of your extra wall to avoid water damage. There will be wind loads to consider.
Do you have a thickness in mind, and is your intent to have it as an extension of the wall we cannot see? Will you want to finish it to look like that wall, or something else?
Thank you for the reply. I am planning to make the house look little modern and different. I plan to put metal coping on the top of that wall and use fiber cement panels 4’x8’ with air gap and paint them.
It’s 2x6 wall
So the fiber cement panels hang with an air gap at the edges, and a water resistant barrier behind.
Looks like you have a range of textures and vendors to choose from. Will you use similar components on the rest of the house? If you want the siding and pattern be continuous from the far wall to the extension, you probably want the framing integrated. (instead of a separate structure tacked on to the house.)
I repeat the observation you may want to get a local engineer involved. The local building codes and inspection office may have an opinion as well.
the end of your extension cantilevers 7' 6" past the foundation.
You might want to see if a truss vendor would design a truss for the extension, and include the part of your wall over the second floor wall top plate. (they might also do the front extension.)
Then you could mount the wall part of the extension bottom plate with a high slope rafter connector to your first floor wall framing. Have to run the numbers.
For the diagonal exterior wall that you described, it's crucial to ensure that it is properly supported to avoid any potential structural issues. The 5′-6″ extension from the face of the front wall is a significant overhang, which will require additional bracing or framing to ensure stability.
One option for supporting this wall would be to install a structural header at the top of the wall, which would transfer the load from the overhang to the foundation. This header could be made of a variety of materials, such as engineered lumber or steel. Additionally, it would be a good idea to install additional studs along the length of the wall to provide additional support.
Another option would be to install metal plates at the roof level to extend that wall. However, it's important to make sure that these plates are properly anchored to the roof structure and that they meet local building codes.
It's also important to make sure that the foundation of the house is adequate to support the additional load of the overhang.
It's important to consult with a structural engineer or a licensed contractor to make sure that your design is structurally sound and meets all local building codes. They can evaluate your plans and advise you on the best course of action to ensure the stability of your house.
Just extend your last rafter the desired amount and brace it back to the house. Fill in studs as you see fit.
Thank you everyone for the responses. Really appreciate it. I will get a local structural engineer involved to be safe and also for my building permits to go through. As I am drafting my own drawings, they might need structural sign and seal on it for safety.
Hello everyone again. I am now planning to use vinyl siding diagonally (parallel to that diagonal wall shown in the first post). But I am not sure how will it end at the corner of the diagonal wall. Should I just use 2 corner trims and put diagonally along the vertical corner? Will water sip in? And how do I detail the top of the wall since there is no roof overhang?
Appreciate any feedback.
Did you run that wall up the roof like in your sketch?
for the top, you can use a parapet cap.
https://www.riversidesheetmetal.net/flashing-metal/parapet-wall-cap/
https://www.certainteed.com/commercial-roofing/products/flintedge-coping/#techinfo
If you size it right, you can use this cap to cover the edge of your siding.
Keep in mind you hang siding, not nail into the wall. As you install, in this case you will really hang from the top nail, and make sure it can expand/contract along the rest of the run without bindding.
you might get better results with siding intended for vertical installation.
It would be safe to assume you will get water behind this one way or another.
So consider a WRB layer under the siding.
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/insulation/water-resistive-barriers
You want to make sure at least one side of that extended wall will let water vapor escape.
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/insulation/water-resistive-barriers
You can assume you will get water behind the siding.
Did you run the wall all the way up the roof?
You can consider a parapet cap to cover both sides and the top.
https://www.google.com/search?q=metal+parapet+cap
https://www.certainteed.com/commercial-roofing/products/flintedge-coping/#techinfo
an example.
Sized right, this can be the top cap over the siding.
You might get better results with siding intended for vertical installation.
Remember that you hang vinyl, and it has to have room to expand and contract.
Thank you for your input. Then it might be better to use James hardie fiber cement vertical panels 4’x8’ with butt joint instead of open joint. They don’t recommend caulking for color plus panels. But I can use zip panel sheathing behind with furring in case water traps in. I can then have clean but corners at that corner wall projecting out with metal coping on the top.
And I didn’t consult structural engineer yet. I am in process of drafting construction drawings now and have him do the whole structure design of the house
How did you end up doing the framing for this?