Victorian Attic framing structural?
Hello All,
I took some quick picks over the weekend of the framing on the top floor-after we had cleaned the place out.
Take a gander at this end wall.
Here’s a closer up view:
From looking at the framing it looks like the center door is probalby original. The area was probalby originally some kind of covered porch and was converted later into the weird bathroom-kitchen thing. It looks to me like they cut some studs to make the other two doorways. Is this unsafe? I have to pry up all the redwood beadboard in the porch as there is dryrot in the framing underneath…I want to save it I think it will look amazing stripped…
The ‘kneewalls’ in the attic I can’t decide if they are structural or not. I would like them not to be. I want them to be there just to have something for the lathe to attach to…
Here’s a shot of a long end wall that I would love to recess book cases into.
View Image You can see only every other stud is actually a rafter. So I have true 2by4’s 24″oc for the actual roof framing which is pretty standard for a house of this age.
Here’s a shot of the front sidewall
Here’s a shot of the front wall of the attic. Here it looks like the rafters break over the kneewall.
I know its tough but does anyone want to venture a guess from looking at the photo’s as to whats actually structural and whats just there to hold the lathe-plaster up?
I don’t have any decent pics of the rafter tie area either but I can’t whats a rafter tie and what’s just there to hold up the lathe either….we we think that we would like to do a cathedral ceiling if its at all possible.
thanks,
Daniel Neuman
Restoring our second Victorian home this time in Alamdea CA. Check out the blog http://www.chezneumansky.blogspot.com/
Oakland CA
Crazy Homeowner-Victorian Restorer
Edited 4/10/2007 2:05 am by madmadscientist
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Replies
Dan,
I don't think the wall with the 3 doors is structural. Rafters carry the load down to the outside walls of the house. Likely you could completely remove that wall. (Disclaimer: don't take my work for it - consult an engineer...)
2 x 4 rafters are likely undersized by today's standards. If you do any structural repairs you will likely have to add larger rafters. Consult with your local officials about their interpretation of code. Also check you floor joist to make sure they are not undersized.
There was a recent thread where a pro contractor converted an attic in an older home to usuable space, complete with many, many photos. It would probably be helpful to you to read that thread. #84041
Edited 4/10/2007 2:52 am ET by MikeK
Hi Mike,
You know one thing that I like about this place is that it seems that the floor framing is not over spanned by modern standards. The joists for the middle floor are full 2by10's 16oc and they span a max of 14' and that's only in one room. With the 1" thick doug fir t&G floors nailed to them at right angles and then thin strip oak flooring nailed the the subfloor the floors on the middle level feel super solid.
On the top floor I have full 2by8 16"oc with a max span ~12' with the doug fir floor on that. They also feel very strong-stiff. My wife and I can jump up and down at the same time and the floors feel very stiff.
Span tables don't have an entry for old growth redwood all heart full dimension lumber. I wonder what modern species/grade I should use to get the best approx. answer...
The roof framing is of course undersized for modern standards. From underneath I can see the original wood shakes on the skip sheathing and there are probably 3 layers of asphalt shingles on top of them. I think that when we have the roof redone those joists are going to breathe a sigh of relief.
I've read thru the attic redo thread in the photo's section-I wish I could do do work that's half as nice as that.....
Daniel Neuman
Restoring our second Victorian home this time in Alamdea CA. Check out the blog http://www.chezneumansky.blogspot.com/
Oakland CA
Crazy Homeowner-Victorian Restorer
Looks like the wall with the doors is semi-structural. You could replace it with a 2x6 rafter tie, just like the ones you have between all the other rafters. From the photo, it looks like the wall studs provide continuous support for the rafter there, and what you might take to be a rafter tie is actually just a 2x4 nailed to the wall to support the ceiling lathe.
Those knee walls are structural, IMO.
George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service
Well thats one vote for structural and one for not....
I just heard from the contractor that's going to do the foundation and I have a meeting set with him and the SE for Monday morning. I'll get the SE to take a look upstairs and tell me what he thinks.
I'm really hoping that along that one long wall in the first picture I can reduce the number of studs so I can set bookcases and dressers flush with the framing.
Daniel Neuman
Restoring our second Victorian home this time in Alamdea CA. Check out the blog http://www.chezneumansky.blogspot.com/
Oakland CA
Crazy Homeowner-Victorian Restorer