How would you write this up?
Came across this today in a 1930’s story and a half. Center of house had this 3 ply 2 x 10 beam and right through the center ran 2 sets of pipes for the hot water heat.
Structural beams made of wood shall not have holes closer than 2" to the edge of the beam. The holes in the beam themselves maybe over sized as they should not be greater than 1/3 the height of the wood beam (3 1/16" for a 2x10).
As this structure has been there since 1930 unless there are other issues it may not be as bad as it looks.
Well, between the screw jack post, the 1930 joist and the upgraded joist and built up beam with holes in it, I might have a few issues with compliance with the current standards. :)
LOL would it not have been easier to run the pipe over ?
That almost sounds like commen sense Wayne. ;)
Something like:
“The girders or joists have been incorrectly notched or otherwise altered. While it is permissible to pierce floor joists, the holes should be no larger than one-third of the depth of the material, and drilled no closer than two inches from the upper or lower edges. Also joists may be notched but no deeper than one-sixth the joist depth, and never in the middle of the span. Notches or holes in girders are not acceptable. An evaluation and repair as deemed necessary by a licensed and competent contractor is recommended. Any repairs should be performed with the benefit of a permit. An attachment at the end of this report illustrates an example of an acceptable repair.”
Recommend relocating the telepost between the two drilled holes in build up wood beam for proper support…(just kidding of course)
You should have taken Bens report writing course tonight.
"Improper notching of framing visible in the crawlspace may have compromised the structural integrity of a girder designed to support floor joists. The Inspector recommends an evaluation and any necessary work be performed by a qualified contractor."
Accompanied by a photo.
Main Beam & Columns
- Defective installation with improper modifications.
- Recommend professional review and replacement made.
I recommend the current owner find the previous owner and give him the keys back to the house, since the current owner is not quite ready to own a house.
Oh how we like to push the boundaries of what likely is the most difficult cut you could make.:mrgreen:
I also like Bobs, Joe’s and Randy’s comments! But a picture is better than a 1000 words Joe. This is right from Ben’s training last Night on how to do reports.
Marcel I would love to put that video training in my report.
Thanks to all for your responses. I like Kenton’s narrative, straight and to the point. And yes, I think it would of been much more prone to just run the pipes above the beam. LOL
Kevin,
Is the chart for “Joist”?
I was lead to believe it is NEVER acceptable to notch/bore/cut a Beam, just as a truss should not be altered without an engineers review.
Actually, it would have been easier to hack out a big gap with a chainsaw or sawzall. Just wait, you’ll find that one yet!
based on op pic i only see 2 holes & no cuts or notches
are either of the holes within 2" of the edge or exceed 1/3 the depth
although not recommended the argument could be made the that code does not explicitly exclude holes in the middle 1/3
someone at nachi arbitrarily took it upon themselves and drew a hole in the graphic kw posted
the actual code language & diagram specifies no notches and does not address holes or cuts in the middle 1/3
see pdf
this may be something that icc gets corrected if brought to their attention
302.3 Cutting, notching and boring in wood framing. The cutting, notching and boring of wood framing members shall comply with Sections 302.3.1 through 302.3.4.
302.3.1 Joist notching. Notches on the ends of joists shall not exceed one-fourth the joist depth. Holes bored in joists shall not be within 2 inches (51 mm) of the top or bottom of the joist, and the diameter of any such hole shall not exceed one-third the depth of the joist. Notches in the top or bottom of joists shall not exceed one-sixth the depth and shall not be located in the middle third of the span.
R502.8.1 Sawn lumber.
Notches in solid lumber joists, rafters and beams shall not exceed one-sixth of the depth of the member, shall not be longer than one-third of the depth of the member and shall not be located in the middle one-third of the span. Notches at the ends of the member shall not exceed one-fourth the depth of the member. The tension side of members 4 inches (102 mm) or greater in nominal thickness shall not be notched except at the ends of the members. The diameter of holes bored or cut into members shall not exceed one-third the depth of the member. Holes shall not be closer than 2 inches (51 mm) to the top or bottom of the member, or to any other hole located in the member. Where the member is also notched, the hole shall not be closer than 2 inches (51 mm) to the notch.
Barry the picture describes much more than a 1/3 but not necessarily would I mention the **minimum **code at this time. Plus the code does not mention you can do 1/3 through the middle one third span of a beam in any documents I have. Since the picture shows 2 holes and we can’t determine if they are in the middle. The pic provided by Nachi is correct.
Kevin, that graphic has a typo. I thought the max notch of “1/16 of depth” looked strange…should be 1/6 of depth.
Thanks for pointing the difference between holes and notches Barry. I noticed this last night.
Even Kenton’s comment refers to alterations in girders/beam with notches cut, not bored holes, different requirements.