Modular home garage walls, sill and stem wall installation

I’ve inspected a few new modulars and poured foundations for a few hundred. I have never seen the garage area built with the rest of the house and scabbed together like that. Ugly for sure. The ones I’ve seen had the garage stick built after the fact.
Attaching any framing to an ICF wall is no different than any other concrete wall. Anchor bolts through a sill plate. Typically though, small straps are embedded into the exterior edge of the concrete for modulars. Were you able to see any under the siding? Those straps should be nailed to the rim joists to secure them, especially by the vehicle door.

1 Like

Cracked ?
image

Rotating?
image

Straps similar to these


MASA (inst)_2

The one time that I tried looking under the exterior siding on the right wall of the garage was between some pieces of flashing. I never saw any MASA straps on this one, but they could’ve been there. I think that this is a water table trim board that’s closest to the sill plate.

The sill plate cracks I did observe, and will will report on. The rotating is not something that I’m seeing. Here’s another view of that same spot.


1 Like

Nice job on the photo’s btw. So many people leave everyone guessing because of limited photos. Now the pro’s can chime in with actionable information.

2 Likes

There was some strapping on studs in between wall sections at the marriage line, but I’m not sure what it was connected to at the bottom.

Apparently someone was converting a living space with wood frame floor into a garage and removed floor joists? Looks ugly because of the 2x6 walls over naked rim joist but it should be fixable if you are not in high wind or seismic area.
The vertical sheathing at the door opening is ok but they need a stud in the middle, 12"o.c. nailing from outside, but hard with all that beautiful siding already in place. Lol

Nice to see you again, Lukasz! Don’t be a stranger. :grin:

1 Like

The garage is in the plans for the home installation. However, the garage came with a center girder and joists going across the floor where the concrete floor is intended to be. After transport and placement on the foundation, the homeowner said that the floor joists were removed, and the central girder was cut back.



PFS 500031 - Plans.pdf (1.6 MB)

The homeowner may want to put a door in the garage wall soon, as they are first trying to figure out what they have before proceeding.

Not installed to manufacturers installation instructions.

1 Like

Adam, I believe I have the answer to the mystery. After looking at the manual you sent, that’s exactly how they build the interior of the home. However, the two exceptions are 1) I see in the plans an additional pair of 2x6 “perimeter joists” as the manufacturer calls them 2) The floor joists and sheathing sit on top of the additional perimeter joists and sheathing. In that manner, I can see the strength to hold everything together. In the case of that garage, they did exactly the same build as the interior of the home not recognizing they are missing half the structural support of having those extra perimeter joists, floor joists, and floor sheathing. I could be completely wrong, but that’s my take.
PS: Can’t tell if those are 2x6 or 2x8 from the pics, but really doesn’t matter for purpose of this discussion.

Where do you see the exceptions? I’m looking at the last page of the plans where it talks about perimeter joists.
Screenshot 2021-11-24 072226

How does that stamp infer that the manufacturer recommends installing the panels horizontally? The engineer or architect of the home appears to be recommending that the panels be installed vertically. I don’t know what to say about that in my report.

Exactly that!
Give your client the info you have, and let them decide what is important to them and who to believe.
Also, I wouldn’t be afraid to point a finger at the local Building/Plans Dept. that approves all plans on new builds!

2 Likes

Look at page 18 Detail A - There is an entire floor structure expected when building that way. Even in the image you show, there appears to be sheathing shown for the floor structure.

1 Like

None of the floor components in the screenshot of Detail A make sense to me.

Yes! I will give it to them to decide! Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!!

2 Likes

I think what detail A shows is that the walls, rim joist, and sill plate design in the garage appears to have been built with the expectation of a floor joist structure to be attached/inserted. I assume this garage will have a poured concrete floor, so there will be no floor joist structure.

3 Likes

It sure looks that way, Ryan.

3 Likes