Hello all… looking for some input on this situation… trying to not make more work for myself but still be structurally sound. I’ll try to explain the details here quickly:
2.5 story balloon framed house — I’m adding a 9.5″ double lvl on the second floor that runs parallel with the 2nd floor joists. The total span is about 12′ — it is holding up the attic (which is a converted finish space) joists which were never properly supported by a bearing wall. Anyway, I have traced the point load at one end down through the 1st floor, into the basement, and onto a footing. My issue is the other point load — the beam runs right into an exterior wall — gable end, balloon framing (typical balloon frame with 1×4 ribbon & floor joists sitting on it). If I place the lvl up against the 3rd floor joists, the end will run into the top plate of the gable end wall — so jack studs would be out of the question… possibly a small header in the gable wall with a simpson joist hanger holding the lvl? That would still leave the problem of trimming the header with jack studs — I prefer not to run 2×4’s all the way down to the foundation if I can avoid it — as that would require me to rip a portion of the wall out on the 1st floor to get in there… I was thinking of using two headers — much like I’ve seen when new windows are framed in balloon framed walls — but I wasn’t sure if the fact that this was a more severe point load would be too much for 2 original studs to carry. The beam itself is not carrying THAT much weight — by conservative numbers I’m only looking at 550plf total, 400plf live….granted it is still a lot of weight…~3000lbs per side at worst.
Another option I was considering was adding a double top plate above my lvl, which would bring my lvl down below the top plate of the exterior wall and allow me to run it into the actual wall — but it still leaves me with a problem of trimming it out with jacks.
sorry for the length – hope it makes sense — any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
Replies
maybe a sketch will help --- i sketched out two possibilities (right next to each other). The one on the right I am confident would suffice, but it involves me running jack studs (probably more than just the one one each that is shown) all the way down to the foundation.
The sketch on the left eliminates the jack studs and replaces them with simpson type hangers that ties the "header" back into the original studs of the house --- just concerned as to whether that is an acceptable amount of weight to place on the original house studs.
good support
you should carry that load to the bottem footer, it will mean opening the wall or walls below . only cut neat lines where they carry through the floor below ,and replace the drywall where needed . also i would install solid blocking between the floor joist , and put a hanger on the lvl . nice job by the sounds of it. i always enjoyed renovation framing . it gives you lots to think about when the loose ends come together. good luck
mc
How about a simpson bracket for the small header, too? Seems like there are lots of ways to transfer the LVL load to two adjacent studs. Even a couple of short 2x either screwed or bolted to the studs to transfer the load.
my preference...
That's what I'd like to do...just so I can minimize the amount of plaster & lath I am destroying down below. My original concern was mainly whether the two original studs could support that weight...
a 4x4 ... which is really what you have can support a heck of a lot of load. One of the structural guys might jump in here and confirm that. I recall in structures class that a vertical load on a 4x4 wood post seemed like it could hold a heck of a lot of weight. There is a difference in that it is a split 4x4 and that it MAY not be laterally supported along it's length in the right ways, but generally, you've got good fundamental load capacity I think.