Building, make easy money in Kansas City
doing construction.
Last year there where several tornados went through the area and distroyed some houses.
At the time there where articles in about how nothing would withstand a direct hit from the strongest ones, but that a number of homes damaged and even distroyed where not in the direct path and has a number of deficencies, including some that did not have any anchor bolts into the foundation.
One of the TV stations had a special on tornadaos and part of they showed anchor bolts and rafter ties to be used in new construction.
But then they showed how to do it for retrofitting.
They used expanding wedge bolts through the “baseboard” to anchor to the foundation. They showed a garage with the DW cutout in one bay. They where achoring through the bottom plate, but called it the baseboard. Used a hammer drill, but did mention that little fact.
Then they used what looked to be like Simpson A23’s between the rafter and the top plate. Claimed to add 30 mph to the wind resistance.
They said that for an ‘average’ house the materials would be about $200 and about $1000 if you hired it down.
Now I have not tried to figure out the time that it would take to do this, but for $800 I *MIGHT* install the anchor bolts. But that would not include patching the DW, repainting the walls, moving the furniture, or cleaning up the mess. Of course if any of the walls have tile or cabinet then it would cost more just to open up the wall.
Not to mention the cost of swimming through an attic full of insulation and streching out trying to nail in the A23’s.
Replies
Bill,
>>Not to mention the cost of swimming through an attic full of insulation and streching out trying to nail in the A23's.
If I have to retrofit them, I would probably remove the top row of siding and install the on the outside.
SamT
"If I have to retrofit them, I would probably remove the top row of siding and install the on the outside."
So you would do it on a brick or stucco sided house for the $800 <G>?
Now I am basically a DIY and "handyman". I am doing a basement finish job for a friend of mine right now.
So I may be a little off here, but looke at Graphic Guid to Frame Construction it looks like the top plate is usually above the top course of siding.
It appears that in some cases you might be able to do this through the soffit, but that would be tight or not accessible in a number of cases.
Stucco and brick got rows???
Well brick certianly does.
Nah, them's courses . . . of course. "I got that from the horses mouth," the famourse Mr. Ed said.
"At the time there where articles in about how nothing would withstand a direct hit from the strongest ones, but that a number of homes damaged and even destroyed where not in the direct path and has a number of deficiencies, including some that did not have any anchor bolts into the foundation."
Bill,
Always has amazed me how you see the footage of a tornado path, and some houses remain relatively intact, and others gone. Personally, I think it has more to do with shoddy construction, than a tornado "skipping".
As an aside, back in the early 80's, I took a drive down Dune Road in Westhampton, LI. NY (a barrier island, summer community). a couple of days after Hurricane Gloria pasted though. The interesting thing I still remember were that so many structures where just plain gone (shoddy construction) but the really well constructed ones (2 x 10 walls, hurricane ties, etc) were still very heavily damaged due to flying debris, from the poorly constructed homes.
I remember looking at one that probably had the roof of the house across the street hit it as it was blown down. It was still standing, but at least a dozen of the [2 x 10] studs that made up the street facing wall were snapped, though still holding up the building. I remember looking in and seeing a lamp still standing on a nightstand. No way wind damage.
Jon
2x10???????
The real story is to build the junk that get blown away and sombody gets the insurance pay out for a real house. So in the mean time you and I pay the real repay rate on the insurance that covers the crap.