deezler
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2012
- Messages
- 3,471
- Location
- Southeast MI
- Tractor
- Cub Cadet 7305, Kioti CK3510seh TLB
I don't understand why many of you guys are freaking out about the presence of mending plates in an engineered attic-room truss. That is how every single truss is made, the pieces of 2-by are only coupled together with plates on each side of every joint. Of course the plates are all in the same spot on every truss, in a row - they are supposed to be. It's completely standard procedure and capable of handling the designed loading. In this case I would speculate (for upper NY) it's for a decent snow load and light storage load (IE don't fill the attic with file cabinets or pool tables and you'll be just fine)
Agree that the stairs were done poorly. Like buckeye said: with trusses 2-feet on center, you cannot just cut one apart to put in some stairs. You need doubled trusses on each side of the 4-foot gap, and then you still frame back in heavily. Since this is already done, I would buy matching 2-bys to basically build an extra truss on each side of the stair gap. Or move the stairs (because having them in them smack middle of a building is ridiculous) and repair the cut one fully, and add extra framing in the back when you move the stairs.
Stairs should definitely have a continuous stringer, at least 3 of them, from top to bottom. You need to bulk the stringers up with extra 2-bys running along side them also, I'd think. One thing you could consider if moving the stairs is to use the good continuous-stringer portion from a ~3' tall landing that you build, say with a 90° turn in the stair path.
The erosion outside can be fixed, just get a huge load of dirt delivered and build way up around the building as needed. Then gravel under the drip line for sure. Or better yet, gutters with downspouts. Erosion should never be allowed to get that bad in the first place, it is undermining your slab and you'd better fix it ASAP.
That lawn mower door is ridiculous. I mean, I can't hate it on it too badly, because I did the same thing on my 30x36 pole barn - cut out a wall section to make a pair of barn doors like that. But mine overlap, seal tight, and are 9' tall because why would you make them so short? crazy.
TL, DR: your building is not unsafe, the sky is not falling here. Just make repairs in the right spots as soon as you can, and then enjoy finishing it out and setting up your awesome shop! It's a solid starting point.
Agree that the stairs were done poorly. Like buckeye said: with trusses 2-feet on center, you cannot just cut one apart to put in some stairs. You need doubled trusses on each side of the 4-foot gap, and then you still frame back in heavily. Since this is already done, I would buy matching 2-bys to basically build an extra truss on each side of the stair gap. Or move the stairs (because having them in them smack middle of a building is ridiculous) and repair the cut one fully, and add extra framing in the back when you move the stairs.
Stairs should definitely have a continuous stringer, at least 3 of them, from top to bottom. You need to bulk the stringers up with extra 2-bys running along side them also, I'd think. One thing you could consider if moving the stairs is to use the good continuous-stringer portion from a ~3' tall landing that you build, say with a 90° turn in the stair path.
The erosion outside can be fixed, just get a huge load of dirt delivered and build way up around the building as needed. Then gravel under the drip line for sure. Or better yet, gutters with downspouts. Erosion should never be allowed to get that bad in the first place, it is undermining your slab and you'd better fix it ASAP.
That lawn mower door is ridiculous. I mean, I can't hate it on it too badly, because I did the same thing on my 30x36 pole barn - cut out a wall section to make a pair of barn doors like that. But mine overlap, seal tight, and are 9' tall because why would you make them so short? crazy.
TL, DR: your building is not unsafe, the sky is not falling here. Just make repairs in the right spots as soon as you can, and then enjoy finishing it out and setting up your awesome shop! It's a solid starting point.