Is this brace holding up the perpendicular walls (structural)?

[geooff]

Hi Everyone,

I purchased my first house last May and have been completing honey-do projects since then. It is finally time for me to start working on my list, and top of that is finishing (insulation, relocating outlets, and new drywall) the walls in the garage. While planning the drywall install and overall garage layout, I have found this brace is in the way. I don't know anyone in construction, so I am asking you guys, if this is a structural support or was it used during framing to help hold the walls up and square them. Hopefully someone has some experience with this type of construction. I would like to remove it as it's below the ceiling line and in the way of a shelf I would like to install.

Thanks in advance!

 

[kbs2244]

from what you have shown, it appears to be a construction squaring brace.
you should be able to remove it without any danger

 

[gsmith22]

its not a construction squaring brace. Based on the photo, the original roof for that garage was probably cedar shakes (note the skip board sheathing). Someone put OSB sheathing over the skip sheathing presumably for asphalt shingles. Prior to the OSB being there, you didn't have a roof diaphragm with the skip sheathing and so that brace you want to remove was what was keeping the tops of the walls square to each other. Now with the continuous OSB, you have a roof diaphragm and all of the rafters are locked into each other and the tops of the walls via the OSB. So long story short, its probably fine to remove the brace given the much enhanced the roof diaphragm is now that you now have a true sheathed surface forming your roof plane.

 

[ace10]

What does the rest of the front wall look like?

Are these braces in each corner?


This bracing could be an attempt to compensate for a poorly framed front wall.

 

[geooff]

its not a construction squaring brace. Based on the photo, the original roof for that garage was probably cedar shakes (note the skip board sheathing). Someone put OSB sheathing over the skip sheathing presumably for asphalt shingles. Prior to the OSB being there, you didn't have a roof diaphragm with the skip sheathing and so that brace you want to remove was what was keeping the tops of the walls square to each other. Now with the continuous OSB, you have a roof diaphragm and all of the rafters are locked into each other and the tops of the walls via the OSB. So long story short, its probably fine to remove the brace given the much enhanced the roof diaphragm is now that you now have a true sheathed surface forming your roof plane.

Thank you for the thorough reply!

 

[geooff]

What does the rest of the front wall look like?

Are these braces in each corner?


This bracing could be an attempt to compensate for a poorly framed front wall.

I consider front wall as the wall my garage doors are installed (in front of my house), this brace is on both left and right sides (connecting the front wall to the left wall and the front wall to the right wall). My back wall is a shared wall with my home.

 

[ace10]

In the picture, it appears that the header runs to the double jack stud and no further?
Is that the case, or can you tell if it runs to the corner?

There are multiple door openings on the front of this garage?

More pictures of the entire wall would be very helpful, IMO.

 

[TRWham]

I will invoke the parable of Chesterton's fence and say someone installed that brace because they thought it was needed- until you can say why they installed it and determine it is no longer necessary, you should move cautiously when removing it.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

gsmith22 is spot on...no if's, and's or but's. We used to actually 'let-in' ours into the top plates, rather than nailing into the edge of the top plate. The corner ties were installed directly after the walls were 'plumb & lined'.

 

[geooff]

Ace10: I can take pictures of the whole wall when I get home in a couple hours. I do know that you are correct about the header running to the double stud. I currently have two hinged doors, with 2ft space between and about 2ft on each side. I have separate headers over each door (I wish it was one long header though so I could install an 18ft wide door).

I have been to the neighbors houses and they all have the same thing. My house was built in 1984 if that helps with anything.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I'd consider replacing it with a similar brace on top of or possibly recessed in the joists (depending on span, sizing etc).

 

[BD1]

I agree on squaring brace.
If you're concerned, have local building inspector come out and get his opinion .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[no704]

Try to wiggle it , if it moves easy, not in tension or compression, remove it.

 

[toolin' around]

How substantial is the bulkhead where the garage door is mounted?

It may have been added to prevent lateral movement from the door opening?

 

[firebirdparts]

You're about the 10th person to ask this since I've been coming here. All 10 were in California. That may help you some in an earthquake, but I don't know much about earthquakes and how you build for them.

 

[geooff]

I have attached more pictures and a layout of the garage. I have 2x 8ft hinged garage doors and 2x man doors, one two the side of the house and the other into the house. As you can see, my house shares the back with the garage and a 2/3 of the other wall.

If they braces were for a earthquake, wouldn't they be installed on every corner of the house?

 

[David C]

The front elevation of your garage has no lateral strength against wind or EQ loading.

I suspect the contractor added these two corner braces to provide some lateral strength to account for this. These braces would not provide any code acceptable lateral strength and the one that is cut and spliced provides even less capacity.

 

[starquestMM]

Leave it, its not really in the way since you'll have to add framing to support drywall anyway.

 

[geooff]

Leave it, its not really in the way since you'll have to add framing to support drywall anyway.

I don’t plan to add drywall to the ceiling.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[CTyankee]

It appears the spliced pieces on each end are there so the brace could be attached to the top of the 2 plates. I'm no engineer, but if the the brace is doing anything I would think you could replace it with 2 pieces that meet on either side of the one ceiling joist and achieve the same result. That would place the bracing at the same plane as the bottom of the joists.

 

[aabirdman]

It called a diamond tie. It is used to hold the top of walls square and straight. While the roof diaphram will hold the walls parallel it does little for the gable ends walls. This stiffens up those walls and tie them to the roof diaphram.

 

[pbon]

Looks like a hip roof to me from the pictures. Does that affect the gable end analysis?

 

[GMCGarage]

Take it out, and put up plywood the first 4 feet....create a deep beam across the front of your garage if worried about it.