Missing sill plate anchors and other issues
Hello, I’m hoping someone can give me some recommendations to fix my sill plate and ledger problems, (2nd paragraph discusses the issues if you want to skip the back story). In 2014 we hired a contractor that came highly recommended by numerous people, he was very respected and was known for high-end homes. We were originally going to purchase a turn-key home but ran out of time before I retired from the military. We had found 5 acres we wanted it built on but his bank was being difficult (found out later a homeowner did not pay him the last draw of 150K). After retiring we purchased a home we hired him for some remolding before we moved in, opened up walls, tiled floors, and the main project was closing in a covered porch.
We closed in the existing covered porch (12 x 27), our contractor had his team pour a footer, added a block wall (removing the existing posts), added the sill plate to the existing structure, added a beam in the middle with 2 block support columns, added new decking, tile, and closed it in, doors, windows and finished the walls. None of the joists have hangars (toenailed), so I am adding joist brackets. My problem is that the sill plate is not attached to the block wall. I cannot add a threaded rod and backfill the cavity. So could I secure a strap on the sill and use Tapcons to secure it to the block? if so what straps and how many? this issue is on 2 walls (1 short one long). Another issue is the ledger on the other 2 walls was never secured to the original structure (just a few from the original deck maybe 4 on the long wall. I found 1 bolt where they attempted to thru-bolt it to the inside of the basement but failed to for whatever reason. On the short wall, they added 1 thru-bolt but it is secured to a manufactured floor joist on the inside. As a solution, they added an additional beam next to the long wall, by throwing 3 solid blocks on top of the ground, added 3, 6×6 posts to support the beam (I found 2 of them hanging in the air). I want to remove this beam and properly secure the ledger to the home should I thru-bolt it or just use lag bolts? Removing it will also allow me to add joist hangers on this side.
The contractor shut down his business about a year after our job due to other issues. I did not discover these problems until recently when I found an issue and began to dig into things. Other issues include new beam support columns sitting on the original floor joist and not carried to the beams below. Deck support posts buried 8-12 inches in the ground (bottom stair posts buried 18 because I was onsite) also used 5 different screws with 3 different drive types (square, Torx and Phillips). Windows not taped (leak), missing insulation, doors not sealed at the bottom, Hardy board improperly installed, just to name a few. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Replies
Sounds to me like you might want to find and hire a local engineer and have them specify solutions to the problems you have identified, and to any he/she may find as well
Congrats on your retirement, and good luck with whatever you choose to do with the rest of your life.
Thank you, I worked as a supervisor at an air conditioning plant for 5 years and quit just before the pandemic hit. It was about numbers and not people which is the opposite of what I did in the military. I have thought about an engineer but the budget is a bit tight, and I still need to do repairs. I was hoping someone has seen this before and would have some recommendations, I'm just looking for what I can expect. Trying to get anyone to even return phone calls is like pulling teeth, even the Mennonites that have done a lot of work for me, will not provide an estimate on 3 projects they looked at and seemed interested in.
So if you do not want to hire an engineer, and you do not have a permit and inspections for this work, your choice is to dig in and fix the problems you have found one at a time.
Simpson strong tie and others sell fasteners and systems to anchor to CMU walls. they are not cheap.
You may find the best option is to dig out and install proper footings for your beam. If the beam is properly sized and supported, you do not need either the ledger board secured, or the joist hangers.
If you have more time and ambition than money, this is one way to go.
Good luck.
UncleMike42 Thank you, I believe the beam along the wall was a stopgap for not securely bolting the ledger to the home, it was a last-minute install, unfortunately, I did not go into the crawl space after they were done. I was fixing a piece of insulation in the basement that had fallen down and discovered the loose bolt, which caused me to investigate more. I am familiar with Simpson I will try to contact the company to see what they have to offer. We are in the county so not much requirement/enforcement on permits, my contractor was supposed to pull all permits and we found out later only electrical was done.
I just found out he is back in business, quoted a neighbor a bathroom remodel then said it would be 5-8k on top of that. My neighbor then pushed him for a more accurate estimate and the contractor dropped him, stated he felt my neighbor would be "too difficult to work with" I informed him of what he did at my house and I think he realized it was a blessing in disguise.