Temporary Support Wall Reccomendations
Good Afternoon,
I have a 2 story barn with 2×4 framed walls, with floor joints running front to back. This had a lean to structure connected to this damaged wall where they had spray foamed the tin roof where the wall meet the tin, well water sat right at that point for years. When I ripped the lean to off the wall I discovered the double top plate of 1 story wall as well as the out side joist of the 2 story floor are rotted and needs to be replaced on this one side. The entire wall is 29 feet long, with 5 separate wall sections.
My question is, what is the best way to support the roof/wall of the 2 story to release the pressure off the joist and double top plate of the 1st story wall? The roof is pitched so that’s where it gets tricky.
I have attached pictures any recommendations is appreciated.
Replies
What is the first floor, wood, concrete, stone?
Are the joist ends in good condition?
Everything is Wood on a concrete slab foundation.
The outside joist are the only bad ones and they sit on the rotted double top plate of the bottom story wall.
“[Deleted]”
There are a couple of options to support the floor. If the mud sill doesn’t cover the whole foundation, you could beat blocks of 2x lumber under each joist to support them from the foundation wall. If not, just build a stud wall under it. Upstairs, I would tack a plate to the floor and cut a stud on the roof angle to support each rafter. I wouldn’t worry about a top plate. It’s easier to scribe each stud because you want a tight fit. You can screw plywood gussets to the sides Of the studs and the rafters if you are worried about them slipping.
It does look like you've got some Blue Gum growing there. Sorry for your unwanted task – It would be easy to make a living repairing all the problems that poor flashing creates.
I would approach the project a section at a time. As suggested above, a short stud wall, which could be moved as you go, could be used to support the floor joists from underneath, or use a beam and some 4x4 posts. To support the roof and second floor you could screw a sheet of plywood horizontally onto the 2nd floor studs and bottom plate as a gusset. You could do this from inside after the floor is braced. Fasten the plywood well – I would go every 8 inches in the field at least. If you plan to use plywood for sheathing you could attach it to the outside and leave it in place. As you proceed insert blocking to support the wall above if there isn't enough left of the floor joists to do it.
I don't know how you plan to replace the rim joist and the ends of the floor joists that are rotten. You may find it easiest to just build a new stud wall the length of the building, up against the inside of the original wall to support the floor joists, if they aren't rotten that far back. It might be that you will have to double up the rim joist to fill the gap after the rotten wood is removed.
"It would be easy to make a living repairing all the problems that poor flashing creates." user-3976312
You can make a living doing it... but its anything but easy. One of the main obstacles is the fact that somebody is paying to have a job done twice. That is rarely an easy sell. In other words, repairing poor flashing is not one of those "upgrades" most folks are ready and willing to spend money on.
BTW, you best option is to consult with a professional structural engineering on securing building loads during your reconstruction instead of seeking it for free on this forum. Why? Because, you will not find professional engineering service on this site. Period.
Use kickers from the outside ground to the top plate. Secure them with a base and stakes. Run a Sawzall under the bottom plate to remove the nails, knock the base of the kickers in until the roof lifts and takes the load off the wall. Pull the beam and replace it with pressure treated then drop the wall back down and resecure it. It's a very light roof so it should be easy to do.
Thank You for the recommendations, I ended up getting a large forklift to support the wall in roof and work in sections, worked very well.