During the inspection today the client says someone else was going to buy it but said that the floor structure wasn’t done right. My client asked me to do some research. I checked it out and the only thing I could come up with was that the 6x6 wood piers were not fastened at the bottom, there were no positive connections between the wood piers and the beam which is composed of 2-2x12s, some of the joints on the beam don’t rest on top of a pier, and there is a lack of nails connecting the two 2x12s together.
The 6x6s are sitting on concrete footings that have been dug out. I’ll admit that span sizing is a weak area of mine (my background is computers, not construction) so it may be I’m overlooking something that is glaringly obvious. I’m thinking the spans for 12 in spacing o.c. is good for the 2x10 floor joists If I could get a second set of eyes I’d appreciate it.
I’ve attached photos and a diagram that shows the layout and some measurements I took.
The only visual concern would be the splice locations on the 2x12 beam. Without house plans I could not determine of the layout of the floor structure is correct for the loading.
Seems that the joists are resting on the ledger strip and are toe-nailed to the beam (our are those screws?). The ledger strip itself seen to have only a few nails or screws at each joist. I would want to see joist hangers. Looks like new wood so can’t blame this on last century techniques. Coupled with previous comments, I think they’re are enough concerns here.
Girder. Doubled 2" x 12". The bottom lumber is a flange to supports floor joists.
Beyond SoP.
Look up span table for Built-Up Wood Floor Beams Supporting One Floor or more story House
Maximum Spans for Uniformly Distributed Loads.
Likely site constructed girder. 2/12’s glued.
1: Columns at not secured at the top or bottom.
Toe-nailed connections, joist/girder, look good from here. Evenly distributed fasteners. Fastened on both sides. Fastened close the the end of the lumber.
But one would need to look at the design drawings and load considerations as Randy mentioned.
And here is the nailing schedule for ledger under joist.
|Ledger strip supporting joists or rafters|4-16d box (31/2" × 0.135"); or
3-16d common (31/2" × 0.162"); or4-10d box (3" × 0.128"); or4-3" × 0.131" nails |At each joist or rafter, face nail
Hey guys, thanks for the feedback. This is a new construction.
Randy - The 2x12 beams are resting on the foundations walls (CMUs) well over 3 inches so I think they’re good on the ends. I appreciate the confirmation on the splices.
Rodney - The code chart has me realizing I need to note the species and grade of the wood when checking spans. Something I’ll need to keep an eye out for. Here in Alabama I presume it’ll all be southern pine. I did catch the insulation.
Edwin - The joists are toe-nailed, but only on one side. Robert’s link to toe-nailing indicates they should be on both sides. Something I’ll note in the report.
Robert - Thanks for the AWC resource. A lot of it is beyond what I’d put in a report, however it all helps me to better understand the reasoning behind the floor spans which in turn makes for a better inspection.
Marcel - Thanks for the confirmation on the splices and the nail schedule. According to the schedule the ledger board is properly attached (except at the end of the beam under the joist next to the improper splice). I have to presume the nails used are common as opposed to box since there’s three of them. I’m not good enough to look at a nail head and determine what kind of nail is being used.
Thanks again for all the info! “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” - Aristotle
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dmelton1
(Daniel W. Melton, Mississippi License # 0663)
10
Hi. Yes, we’re not code inspectors. I only mentioned it to him because it is a good, compact resource that may answer the questions he has in his head. It’s just a tool.
Hey Randy, thanks for the response. I do, in fact, have a copy of Code Check Complete (2nd ed.) that I refer to from time to time, however the span tables have always looked like Greek to me. This is due in part to my not having a construction background and with so much going on not having the time to sit down and decipher the tables. While necessity may be the mother of invention, in this case it was the mother of “you need to get this done correctly”. I was fortunate to have this forum to ask for help and was rewarded with several resources to add to my toolbox along with a more complete understanding of my Code Check book.
I know we’re not code inspectors, but I don’t see how any inspector worth his salt can operate without it. Of course, if a salt looses it’s saltiness what’s it any good for?
