5 years ago I purchased an A-Frame timber cabin. At the front of the loft, about midway in the cabin, there is a 6×6 post coming down from the peak to a split horizontal beam at ceiling height that spans to the sidewalls. It is really two beams that meet at a 4×4 post under them and they are not tied together. It had been that way for about 40 years and I didn’t think much of it. However, I did put a gage across the butt ends to see if they were separating. Since I have owned it, there is slight separating of the two beam ends, about 5/16″.
See sketch attached
So…I think it would be a great idea to try to close the butt joint gap and put a plate across the joint to hold it…any ideas on bringing the two beams together?
Replies
Steel plates
I'm sure that if you look at the Simpson Strong Tie catalog you can find a suitable solution that would screw on. The PS or HT come to mind. The catalog is avialbable online, and better lumberyards will have a counter copy, and probably enough knowledge of the product line to give you a recommendation. Paint them worught iron black and they will look rustic.
I'd wan't to attempt pulling them back into place first, but a couple of good clamps and some temporary blocking should do that.
blocking and clamps?
some temporary blocking should do that
Sounds like a plan, but could you please describe you to go about it? One guy suggested drilling a hole in each beam end, putting an eye bolt in and then using a nut / threaded rod to pull them together. I would suspect that the pulling together force is large...as well as the difficulty in grabbing the two ends.
All thread might work
You might be able to pull them together with all-thread and eyebolts.
Exactly how to doit depends on whether both sides are accesible.
I'd look at screwing on some angle iron, about 2-feet away from the joint on both sides, and suck it together with pairs of Bessey "K-Body" paralel jaw clamps, or pipe clamps, with one above the beam and one below. If they don't have enough pull I'd try handyman jacks. That would leave me acces to install the plates.
I'll try the angle iron
I've got some really stout pipe clamps too...the ones that use a 3/4 dia pipe and a short bite. that should work. Once the beams are squeezed together I will use a couple of simpson 1/8" thick splice plates. Picked them up at Home Depot this aft.
A fiend of mine...a trucker....said he would use a rotary chain tightener and would lend me one. they will grab a lag bolt with a short link around the head of the bolt. Keeping the line of action close to the beams is the key. I can get to only one face on one of them, the other is open on both sides.
Since it's 100 miles from my front door I won't be getting to it soon...maybe a month or so and I will bringing all sorts of options.
Thanks...
I'm kinda wondering what's broke. The amount of motion described is well within the range of what would be expected from wood shrinkage over the years.
The "beam" is the rafter tie.
The "beam" functions as a rafter tie, and is tension. Spreading might indicate shrinkage. But, wood doesn't really shrink much in length so it more likely structural creep.
Tieing it together is a good solution.
collar ties
It stood for 40 years then you have 5/16" gap in 5 years. What was the gap when you bought it, and did you change anything to the cabin since you bought it, such as roofing material? Are you certain it is not due to drying out as suggested?
Trying to winch them back to tight joint may start new problems. I would at least make sure that connections are strong at the wall and there is no possibility of wood materials splitting at the connection.
Why not leave the joint as is and bolt on a steel plate, made to look like a decoration? My guess doesn't go beyond this, hope it helps.