is this a load bearing wall? help..

[Trey T]

^My wife works for a large ins broker firm (O&G industry). Believe or not, they are equip with engineers that underwrites policies.

 

[rslaback]

Agree that plywood gusseted trusses can be just as strong as commercial trusses with nail plates. But I wouldn't want to have that conversation with an insurance adjuster.

The main problem that insurance companies have with homebuilt trusses isn't the gussets, it's the quality of the dimensional lumber used and the tightness of the joints under those gussets.

 

[JohnnieMo]

I paid a structural engineer $370 to come in my house for 15 minutes to determine that a wall was not structural. It was a 24 foot span with a trussed roof (very similar to what you've got there).

I pulled out the wall and the ceiling didn't even move.

My theory is that it is not structural in design, but it all depends on how well those trusses were ACTUALLY built.

 

[cjn1014]

Agree that plywood gusseted trusses can be just as strong as commercial trusses with nail plates. But I wouldn't want to have that conversation with an insurance adjuster.

If a modern truss roof was dropped on you, the fire department would build shoring in site utilizing plywood gusset plates, albeit with a specific nail pattern.

 

[Spyider]

well once the brother/sister in law come i guess ill get my answer 100%.. so just for the sake, if this is in fact a non bearing wall witch i hope is isnt.. would making 4' knee walls to jack the entire garage up to 12ft ceilings be all that much work? what would be the best way to hold it up. or i could do cinder blocks but then i loose some inside space and have to attach to that..

 

[rburke65]

If you add a 4' stud wall you have to be aware of the 'hinge' you hae just created.kthe wall will probably have to be sheeted on the outside to span the entire 4' wall to the adjoining wall. There have been posts here on this subject.

 

[Gojeremy]

My initial reaction was that it is not load bearing since it looks a little weak, and because it was previously a rental and someone probably installed the wall to make for a private garage. The arguments for it being load bearing make sense though too. I still think it isn't holding anything up though.

 

[Spyider]

yea just trying to decide if it would be best to chop the roof and raise that. OR unbolt the bottom frame and lift the entire garage. but then ide have to lower the doors, wiring with outlets.. it almost seems like the same amount of work at the end of the day. i would leave the garage normal heights also.

 

[JohnnieMo]

I'm also planning to lift my garage. See the thread in my signature. I was inspired by this thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272678

Just be aware of the height restrictions in your area. My city has a limit of 9'10" eave height and 15' peak height. Those may play a factor in your plans.

I'm in the process of getting engineering done so the issue of the exterior walls should be solved soon. As I understand trusses, they put all the load downward, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Sent from my Passport

 

[Trey T]

yea just trying to decide if it would be best to chop the roof and raise that. OR unbolt the bottom frame and lift the entire garage. but then ide have to lower the doors, wiring with outlets.. it almost seems like the same amount of work at the end of the day. i would leave the garage normal heights also.

I would imagine it's less-difficult to modify a structure at an end, not between two components (roof and wall). So lifting the entire structure from the concrete slab would make the project more feasible.

Feasible and affordable are two different things, so don't get that mix up. If you want to learn how people jack up houses, look into This Old House New Jersey project (hurricane sandy). That series shows house lifted up 5-6ft off the ground.

To raise it, I would imagine using long steel beams for bracing and as lifting points and heavy equipment. Steel beams bc you can only do so much with wood for long spans (3 car garage). Sounds too expensive!!!! It might be in the $10-$20K territory. A 10" lift vs. 4' lift can be several times more costly.

 

[GuyllFyre]

By the looks of the wall, it was never meant to be load bearing.
Depending on the sag and such after the wall was built, it may indeed be holding up portions of the rafters though.
I've seen it before but personally, I'd do some quick measurements, start whacking out some of the studs, and see if anything start to come down.

 

[David C]

I agee with Mr. Fyre. The wall probably wasn't intended to be a bearing wall; I doubt it has a footing underneath, which would be required for any bearing wall. It would be almost impossible to predict what would happen if you remove the wall.

The site built trusses may not be adequate and over time the panel point connections could have slipped and now it is a bearing wall.

One thing you could do is check the roof for any displacement along the ridge and inside along the truss bot chords. Displacement might indicate some settlement and connection failure.

You could also calc the truss and see if the pp connections are adequate. This is what I would do. Alternately you could increase the strength of the connections with more nails or screws taking extreme care not to split or damage any of the framing wood. If you did this it would be best to jack up everything to straight and level first.

 

[silver2k2gt]

If a modern truss roof was dropped on you, the fire department would build shoring in site utilizing plywood gusset plates, albeit with a specific nail pattern.

From what I can tell that is the exact nail pattern we would use. Looks to me to be a non load bearing wall