Room Additions in Manhattan Beach
Notched and drilled floor joists are found early because they change what a new wall can sit on. Aspenwell.
Plumbing and wiring runs sometimes leave floor joists notched or drilled so deeply that they no longer carry what they were meant to. In a Manhattan Beach addition, that matters when a new wall will sit above them. We look at the joists below any planned wall before drawings are finished, because a weak joist changes where the load goes.
What the joists reveal
From the crawlspace or an opened floor, we sight along each joist and look for cuts near the middle of the span, where a notch does the most harm. A drilled hole larger than the allowed size also weakens the member. Findings are photographed and marked on a sketch. The engineer then specifies a fix, such as a sister joist alongside, a steel strap or a new beam beneath. The cost of the fix is quoted from that sheet. Original floor framing is often hidden by subfloor, so some detective work is needed.
How a finding changes the plan
A damaged joist under a new bearing wall can shift the wall location by a few feet or add a post below. The address might be in the coastal zone, which would add its own permit, so we confirm that status early. Near the shore, the added hardware is galvanized. The revised plan then goes to the building department, and the inspector looks at the repair before the floor is closed. Repairs are small compared with discovering the problem after the new wall is loaded.
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Only after the engineer reviews the footings, the walls and the joists in between. If those pass, the second floor goes up as drawn. If not, sister joists, posts or new footing sections are added first, shown on the plans before any pricing.
The seam is opened to expose studs and plate. New framing is fastened to the old per the plans, floor levels are matched, and flashing at the roof joint is laid before the covering closes it. A repaired joist is inspected before the floor goes over it.
Often, because the floor is open and damaged members are easy to reach. Fixing notched joists, bolting the sill and bracing short walls are typical items, each quoted on its own line, with the engineer signing off.
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Describe the house and what it needs. We look at the structure first and send the quote in writing.