I am in need of advice. I am working on a 28′ wide clear span home with scissor truss on a single story 2×6 walls. I inadvertantly cut one of the spliced together 2-2×4 28′ wall ties that run the width of the house at 14 foot intervals. I assume the ext walls will spread in time and want some advice on how to pull the walls back into alignment. I am thinking the easiest thing is to drill through the walls, attach 2 steel plates or angle iron at the wall plate, then use a come along and cable to ratchet the wall inward until plumb.
The deflection so far is minor, about 1″ outward at the top of the wall. (And I can not say if the deflection was there before the tie was cut, the home is 15 yrs old)
Ideas to fix this ignomious end to 2006?
Thanks in advance,
Replies
Man, I just could not open this thread fast enough !
I was sitting there for the entire 13 seconds going "o pen o pen open open open..."
I was so excited I thought about peeing myself. But then the thread was open before I could concentrate on thoughts about ocean waves and waterfalls and such for long enough...
Hey ! I was finally going to be able to fill a real need here at BT.
.
...Then I discovered that you didn't want some stupidity, you wanted to get rid of some.
.
Dangit.
Nevermind.
~~~
On the other hand...
You could do exactly as you have thought about doing, only use a turnbuckle instead of a come-along.
Then just leave the cable/turnbuckle/etc in place, to keep it from spreading later.
Build a fake beam or something if you need to hide it.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
Now I am peeing in my pants reading your reply ;-)
Great advice as well!!
HA, HA ,THATS GREAT!
that was good
Luka, the weirdest part is I was thinking the same thing. <VBG>
I was thinking someone started a thread about my ex-SIL.
If there is concern about a snapped cable, then use chain. And make it a part of the decor.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
>If there is concern about a snapped cable, then use chain.Ever see a chain snap? Scary.
Chain does not whip like cable. Plus it looks better.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
We are not talking about forces anything like what happens in logging.If the cable OR chain is at least 5/16" thick, and is swaged/connected correctly, it will not snap. (Granted, this is assuming that the cable or chain is quality made...)If the eyebolts used are the solid cast eye design, instead of the cheapo eyebolts made by bending round stock in a circle... Those should not break either.If a turnbuckle is used, it can be tightened again in the future, if need be. This sort of thing is usually best not pulled in all at once.In the choice between cable or chain, more than esthetics is affected. A chain would be easier/safer to shorten at a future date, than trying to re-swage a cable.As a side point, when a chain breaks, it uses up a LOT of the kinetic energy when all those links crash into each other. If the pull is in a straight, end to end direction, it can be counted on to stay within a certain range of "travel". It doesn't normally just whip around anywhere at all. It can still hurt someone in the right circumstances. Even kill them.But when a cable snaps, it just whips around in whatever direction it wants. Still carrying a lot of kinetic energy when it finally hits someone. It can slice right through a person.I'd rather be in the area when a chain breaks than when a cable snaps. For either one, I try to stay at least a certain distance away, and to stay to the side, not near one end or the other. But even at that, the chances that that cable will whip sideways and get me anyway, are as good as not, and that is not the case with the chain.
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
I did just what you describe in the garage of my last house (angle iron, a couple of very large eye bolts and a come along).
I cranked the come along as hard as I dared and only moved the walls in about 1/2" or so. I suspect that if you can jack up the peak of the roof at the same time you'll have better luck.
Rich
I once did a remedy on an artist studio (think garage in terms of dimensions) and also used a combination of large eyebolts and a come along as well as slowly jacking up the ridge. I also took very careful measurements and strung lines to gauge the adjusted height. Worked like a charm, pulled 10' high walls in about an inch on each side and lifted the ridge about an inch also.
That was a serious violation.
Im curious.
Why didnt you think about it then ? I could understand it if you never thought about it , but now after the fact you do?
Welcome to Breaktime.
Tim
Edited 12/31/2006 12:11 pm by Mooney
Yah, I found myself focused on wondering, "What is the rest of the story behind the use of the word, 'inadvertantly'!"
;)But the others have answered the solution just fine
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I inadvertantly sawed a big crowbar in half with a circular saw. Thought it was bound up, but it was sawing a big freaking crow bar under the plywood. Made nice large metal chips, but not so good sawdust afterwards.
i like the idea you suggest. i also like the idea from luka to use a turnbuckle. what i would like to suggest is that whenever you have a cable that is stressed or a load you are jacking you need to take steps to prevent impact in case of an unexpected rapid release of stress!
in other words (i'll try to stupid it down some, but its tough for me) take a rope and tie it to the cable before you get up on it with the come along, tie the other end of the rope to a stud or something so that if the come along breaks the cable won't be allowed to fly across the room and hit someone in the throat and kill them. you should tie rope to cable in several spots, wherever you have connections that might possibly fail. usually the cable itself won't break, it'll happen at the connections. inspect all "rigging" and think about it before applying pressure.
same thing when using a jack to raise out of level floors etc, you need to arrange things so that if the 4x4 on top of the jack kicks out under pressure it doesn't go upside your head or even your knee! again i am describing what not to do here, the 4x4 on top of jack is first mistake.
one more thing you may need to address is which side you want to move? both the same? one more than the other? one not at all?
lastly you are not doing anything remotely considered stupid! you are doing exactly the smartest thing you could be doing, you are asking the questions before you act, which is my personal definition of thinking!....What are you doing when you are thinking?....asking questions! its not a mistake unless someone else notices and brings it to your attention before you figure it out yourself, or unless concrete is involved and it has set up.
I've learned to tie air hoses together at the ends because of a similar outcome when one of them gets out of control. Could easily take out an eye or something other
excellent point, thank you.
you know if you think about it you can make these things a lot safer without having to buy special equipment. rope, tie wire, plywood cleats, duct tape, etc.
If it will be unseen, why not pull it together till it butts and lay a 2x4 over the joint, attaching it with PL-adhesive and nails, bolts or whatever? Do this on both sides and it should hold. If the PL and fasteners are strong enough, they should resist the shear forces and the lumber will have approximately the same resistance to tensile stress as the original ones.
If the house hasn't shown any cracking in drywall joints (or plaster), it probably hasn't moved much.
Ignore everything you've read above.
This is your opportunity to create a unique look for the house.
Think flying buttresses.
One at each side at the point of the cut tie.
Imagine the possibilities.
:)
Rich Beckman
I'm with Luka, thought you were looking for another bucket of stupid to add to your own.
I've got plenty to share, but looks like you're set.
Joe H
How do you keep stupidity in your bucket? Mine just sloshes over willy-nilly when ever it sees an opportunity. Maybe I need a lid for my bucket.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Well I will show my ignorance.
I thought that the whole idea of using scissor trusses was that the wall you did not need either intermediate supporting walls nor any "joist ties" or equivalent.
And if the scissors truss is not what is keeping the walls from separating and that the ties are needed every 14ft is a LONG distance. I am not a framer, but my guess would be that the top plate would need extra reinforcement. Or else there will be a fair amount of wall spread 7 ft between the ties.
What am I missing here?
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I am with Bill H, normally do not need/use the ties with scissor trusses. Mine are 38' and none were required. How much gap do you have where you cut it or did you cut it out altogether?
Simpson makes some brackets that you attach to floor joists that is L shaped, the short leg goes up against the band or rim joist and recieves a bolt for deck ledger/etc. If you have clearance to work put one on each side of the member on each side of the cut. Get some 1/2" all thread and pull it together.
If you can not find them let me know and I will get you a link.
Fill out your profile, you have been lurking a while.(;-)
Luv yer responses! Sorry if y'all got excited and thought the posting was a request for more stupidity. I enjoy my own though and look forward to each and every moment it can come to fruition.OK, dufus act aside. Seems like the best practice going forward is:
1. Angle iron/steel plate at the wall plate attached to threaded rod and turnbuckle to swing the walls inward as needed.
2. Use a jack at the roof peak to concurrently move ceiling up as the wall is brought in, relieving the stress on the turnbuckle.
3. Tie off everything for in anticipation of 2007's stupid event of the year where by the jack slips turnbuckle strips and I am partially decapitated and the 2000.00 window is festooned with cracks.
4. Verify the correct wall is being brought in so I don't have a lopsided parallelagram for a house.
5. Once done, celebrate with the owner the new and unique decorative element soon to be called an Arts and Crafts box beam! (and insist that the house be documented so a future remodeling project dude or dudette just doesn't fire up a carbide tipped "sawzall" and off goes the turnbuckle under stress).Thanks for your responses. Any additional comments or thoughts are still appreciated.
Like BillHartmann, I don't get what's going on.If they're scissor trusses, they don't need ties. If they AREN'T scissor trusses, what are they and why are there ties 14' apart?Is this an engineered system, or just something soeone threw up there because it looked good?Any chance we could get some pictures?
They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them. [Gandhi]
Sorry...
"Ya can't Fix STUPID"
Peace
Thanks for your response.
Ya stupid doodyhead !!
Get over it....... The angry going eat you up. ~Brownbagg '06
WAAAAHHHHH
MODERATOR MODERATOR!!!
Jeff is being mean again!!!
Peace