Hi all,
Probably going to replace all sill beams as shown in this photo, need between 24-25 feet for longest ones along length of house. Aside from the over cutting at the joint, think this will work? It will be on piers like in photo.
https://images.finehomebuilding.com/app/uploads/2019/01/26034927/gallery3big.jpg
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Those are a full 6x6 sill and floor beams it seems. Provided the spans are suited to the loads, it will work.
The exact same configuration is what most of the 100 yo homes around here are still sitting on. Keep the water and termites out and you're fine.
btw, most of the time the sill beams are spliced over a post as in your picture, so you don't need to get 25' stock.
so you think that sort of joint, just nailed together, simple lap, will do? guess it really depends on what BI will allow, not what we think.
Would not fly here in Ore.
Needs a plywood gussett applied each side, can't remember the rules for the dimensioning of the gusset though.
Yes, it will do fine. But the decision is totally up to your BI. Presumably, you will submit plans for his/her approval.
The sill/beam on post technique is a very old-fashioned way to build. It means you will have to skirt the crawlspace area. You forego useful basement space (for utilities and storage), and the skirting ends up requiring periodic maintenance. You also need to decide whether to insulate the skirting or the floor joists. Then how to control ground moisture; and crawlspace ventilation. Lending agencies may be reluctant to lend money, and future buyers may shy away from the old-fashioned construction.
In our small town, there are several hundred built that way 100 to 70 years ago that are still perfectly good homes. I have done repairs on a number of them, where water infiltrated from above (due to poor maintenance) and rotted parts of the sill beams. We also replace some of the wood piers where they slowly melt into the ground b/c of dryrot; the ones with concrete piers or wood posts over poured footings hold up well.
There are probably tens of thousands of similarly built homes in old Alleghenny mtn. towns.
I'm curious to know why you want to build that way?
"why you want to build that way"three reasons
it matches the way it was done originally, only with footing this time and 32" higher
it is what the engineer spec'd
a full foundation would be more expensivehaving said all that, I'm starting to think a full foundtaion would be better, i'll be speaking with the mason about the difference in cost. of course this delays the project while waiting for engineer to sign off on it, took a month last time for him to send me back 3 copies of my drawings, his seal.as far as skirting the joists, i intend to replace the sill beam that's there. the board and batten siding extends down to the bottom of sill, maybe an inch higher.thanks