Modify trusses to clear a hoist

[Jo Diesel]

My son is buying a house with a 4 car garage and he wants to make the ceiling clear a hoist. It is 26' wide and has a 9' ceiling with a 4 12 pitch roof. Going to see it Saturday and will have accurate dimensions and more information.
Who has done this and how did you do it ?

PS I am getting his 3 cars out of my shop

 

[JackAndy]

I'm actually trying to do something similar.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365224

There's 101 ways of getting it done. The last post by Falcon 67 on page 3 actually lays it out in detail on how he would do it.

 

[gungatim]

I have done it. several threads on here about others who have as well. do a search.

as said, there are multiple ways of doing it, some of the threads show some pretty amazing work. mine is not as pretty but structurally it is sound and has been about 5 years now with zero issues including some record snowfall seasons...

 

[astroracer]

I did mine. I am not far from you, Byron, if you want to do a road trip.
Mark

 

[Jo Diesel]

I did a search before I started this thread. Tried multiple word combinations and got a big fat NATA. I asked for people to post theirs so I could see them.

 

[6768rogues]

It all depends on how it is currently constructed. Is it trusses or rafters? Which direction? Where does it need to be raised? Is it in a place that requires engineered drawings for permits to do structural changes? If it is in a location that requires drawing and a stamp for a permit, you might as well call a licensed professional because otherwise you will get nowhere.
Where I live, which is pretty loose about permitting, it would require drawings and a professional stamp and then they would give me all kinds of grief about why I need a lift in a residential zone. Am I going to start fixing cars for other people and having an outward appearance of a business? I have a lift, but it is in my outbuilding that was built tall enough.

 

[Jo Diesel]

I did mine. I am not far from you, Byron, if you want to do a road trip.
Mark

Might take you up on that when we are ready to take possession of the house

 

[gungatim]

I did a search before I started this thread. Tried multiple word combinations and got a big fat NATA. I asked for people to post theirs so I could see them.

search on here *****, you gotta use google.
https://www.google.com/search?q=gar...4.5&ei=OUZrWbKrOYyXjwSMqKP4BQ&emsg=NCSR&noj=1

reason I said search is because this topic comes up twice a year at least, and we who've done it have already postyed eveyything multiple times, gone through all the arguments and nay-sayers saying it can't be done, shouldn't be done, our insurance will be cancelled and we are all going to die for even thinking about modifying a truss...it get's old...easier to just point to some threads than rehash all the BS.

almost as bad as debating electrical code or backfeeding generators...

 

[Dakota00]

LoL my thread is the first link in the google search.

 

[Stuart in MN]

reason I said search is because this topic comes up twice a year at least,

More like twice a week...

 

[1969]

Just be patient, when the smart people see this you will get a free education.

 

[Jo Diesel]

Went and measured the garage Saturday. Ceiling 8'6" Roof at peak is 12'6". About a foot shy of being able to do this. We are looking at raising the hole roof 4'. On a side not the garage is 54x26 so it will be a nice size work shop

 

[bczygan]

Went and measured the garage Saturday. Ceiling 8'6" Roof at peak is 12'6". About a foot shy of being able to do this. We are looking at raising the hole roof 4'. On a side not the garage is 54x26 so it will be a nice size work shop

Raise the whole structure and set it on a 4' masonry wall. Photos?

Bill

 

[red61cj5]

search on here *****, you gotta use google.
https://www.google.com/search?q=gar...4.5&ei=OUZrWbKrOYyXjwSMqKP4BQ&emsg=NCSR&noj=1

reason I said search is because this topic comes up twice a year at least, and we who've done it have already postyed eveyything multiple times, gone through all the arguments and nay-sayers saying it can't be done, shouldn't be done, our insurance will be cancelled and we are all going to die for even thinking about modifying a truss...it get's old...easier to just point to some threads than rehash all the BS.

almost as bad as debating electrical code or backfeeding generators...

"THINE SHALT CALL UNTO THYSELF AN ENGINEER AND VERILY PROCURE FROM HIM DRAWINGS WHICH ARE STAMPED, OR SURELY YE SHALL BE PUNISHED"
you mean those guys?

 

[GMCGarage]

Cut and paste with alot of wood.

 

[GMCGarage]

"THINE SHALT CALL UNTO THYSELF AN ENGINEER AND VERILY PROCURE FROM HIM DRAWINGS WHICH ARE STAMPED, OR SURELY YE SHALL BE PUNISHED"
you mean those guys?

Professionals?

Engineers are only hired by those that want to protect their asses(T)s

 

[gungatim]

"THINE SHALT CALL UNTO THYSELF AN ENGINEER AND VERILY PROCURE FROM HIM DRAWINGS WHICH ARE STAMPED, OR SURELY YE SHALL BE PUNISHED"
you mean those guys?

yup.

 

[red61cj5]

Professionals?

Engineers are only hired by those that want to protect their asses(T)s

And here we go..

 

[soj]

search on here *****, you gotta use google.
https://www.google.com/search?q=gar...4.5&ei=OUZrWbKrOYyXjwSMqKP4BQ&emsg=NCSR&noj=1

reason I said search is because this topic comes up twice a year at least, and we who've done it have already postyed eveyything multiple times, gone through all the arguments and nay-sayers saying it can't be done, shouldn't be done, our insurance will be cancelled and we are all going to die for even thinking about modifying a truss...it get's old...easier to just point to some threads than rehash all the BS.

almost as bad as debating electrical code or backfeeding generators...

And I thought PVC airlines were the king of kontroversy.
-jp

 

[lakeroadster]

This worked well... Truss Modification for Car Lift

Lots of drama but once you cut through all of that there is good data and a lot of photo's.

Hope this helps.

 

[GMCGarage]

And here we go..

At one point or another this modification more than likely will be viewed by an engineer.

1. When it collapses
2. When the owner wants to sell the house.
3. When(if) the building department catches wind.

Building codes are set up for public safety and engineers are trained to interpret the codes, loads, and make determinations what is safe.

I could give 2 shits if you hack up your structure, but providing a means for others to do it because it has worked for you so far, doesn't mean it will for others.

Folks should be given all the options to determine what they want to do. Some will want it done right, some are ok with home grown design.

Dont be a DB because someones elses opinion differs from yours.

 

[LX-Markham]

Just be patient, when the smart people see this you will get a free education.

And here we go..

And this is why I have stayed out of this thread.

 

[1969]

I'm with the engineers on this one........ we all know that "engineered" bridges never collapse, "engineered" high rise buildings never fall.......... I still don't know how those old barns were built without an engineer. Carry on...........

 

[ssdave]

I'm with the engineers on this one........ we all know that "engineered" bridges never collapse, "engineered" high rise buildings never fall.......... I still don't know how those old barns were built without an engineer. Carry on...........

I know how most were built; and that was poorly. Most old barns have failed. The ones that you see today that haven't failed were the ones that for one reason or another were constructed better than others.

Some were built well, and there was some cultural learning from failed ones that improved other ones being built. But, without a systematic way of designing and improving construction, many failed.

Engineering is just a systematic and knowledgeable way with insuring that the design is adequate by calculating performance in accordance with sound materials properties and physics. Nothing more, nothing less. Design by "looks good enough", and advice on the internet from unqualified persons is the opposite of that. It's just guessing, without anything except that persons previous experience to back it up. Depending on the previous experience and the persons competence in interpreting that experience, the advice may be good, bad, or awful.

I do know that county agricultural structures here that do not require a building permit often fail. There were numerous failures here the last winter of ag buildings, I did not see any failures of engineered structures, although I am sure there could be some. The probability of failure is much less with an engineered structure.

To address your specifics: Engineered bridges can, and do fail. But they fail at a much smaller rate than bridges that are designed without engineering. High rise buildings can fail, but I can guarantee that 100% of high rise buildings would fail if they weren't engineered.

Not all construction needs engineered. Not all truss modifications would need to be engineered. But, they do need to be competently designed. One of the best ways to insure competent design, and to be fully supported in our code and judicial system is to have that design done by an engineer.

 

[GMCGarage]

I'm with the engineers on this one........ we all know that "engineered" bridges never collapse, "engineered" high rise buildings never fall.......... I still don't know how those old barns were built without an engineer. Carry on...........

Research the failure rate between the USA and other countries. Yes, there are mistakes made, and things happen. That does not mean that nothing needs engineered.

These type comments are why ALOT of professional folks dont reply here, get tired of the hammer mechanics beating up on them for giving a different perspective than ''yea that will work' attitude.

 

[GMCGarage]

And this is why I have stayed out of this thread.

More of less why I have for the most part stopped posting. This site has gone way down hill.

 

[LX-Markham]

I'm with the engineers on this one........ we all know that "engineered" bridges never collapse, "engineered" high rise buildings never fall.......... I still don't know how those old barns were built without an engineer. Carry on...........

There's empirical design, and engineered design.
Those old barns are based on 100's of years of empirical design.

Modifying an engineered truss roof does not fall under "empirical" design. Carry on....

And every engineer (Canada anyway) is fully aware that some bridges collapse. Our iron ring is forged from the iron of the collapsed bridge in Quebec (so the legend goes).