Old farmhouse, rough cut 2×4 oak studs and joists, with a 1×6 oak ribbon board let into the studs. I need to add some doors, the owner already purchased them, and they’re too tall for the ribbon (by about an inch), and they’re too wide to fit into existing stud bays. And, of course, they’re exterior steel doors to be located in the bearing walls.
Can I let the ribbon carry the 2nd floor and roof load if I go to a 38″ RO (I think I know the answer already).
Barring that, can I use standard techniques to header the opening? And will I be creating a hinge point that will create a problem?
To make this worse, the owner’s a buddy of mine, and because of domestic problems, everything’s rush, rush, rush. But I intend to do it right.
EDIT: Existing studs are 24″ OC.
Edited 5/26/2006 4:43 pm ET by Tomrocks21212
Replies
Interesting question. At the very least you would ahve to beef up the ribbon board between the studs for the door. Make it a header instead of a ribbon board. YOu likely will have to open things up wider than the door so as to be able to put jack studs to support your header.
But never mind me, I ani't no Enginer?
The ribbon will not hold the load . - over time.
I would put in a conventional header/kings/jacks for the load and have a concern about the spread depending on which way the joists run.
I think you were pointing to the spread by asking about a hinge point. - good question - if the joists run perp you should be alright, and even if they don't you may still be alright but you may be transferring the spread load to the subfloor which wasn't designed to pick that up.
Hard to see from here.
Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
This is a common problem.The ribbon is probably 6" wide or wider,remove 1 1/2" from the bottom of the ribbon. Put a header in where a stud has to be cut.The house is probably a combination of post and beam and ballon framing,very common here in NJ with homes older than 100 years.The joists are nailed to the side of the stud,the ribbon helps support the load. I imagine a proberly bolted connection between the joists and stud, the ribbon could be eliminated. Another post mentioned that the ribbon will eventually fail, not if they are like the ones I run into. Almost every old home I worked on has this type of framing, the ribbons measure 1" thick and anywhere from 6 to 8" wide.I have never seen the ribbon board fail.
mike
Edited 5/26/2006 9:54 pm ET by mike4244
I just ran into this with two windows on the place I'm working on.
It's 1905, DougFir and the band is 1x4 only. My headers fit right up against it and I put in jacks and kings put to the ribbon.
I would imagine you can just notch into the ribbon what you need to without worry as it's 1x6.
This house has 2x12 floor and ceiling joists that are clear doug fir right across the whole place--they don't lap over the bearing walls..
Pat