Loading…
19
A conversation with a structural engineer changed how I read load paths
Last Tuesday I was on a rehab in Austin and an engineer named Mark stopped by to check a beam we were sistering. He pointed out that I was focusing on the header but ignoring the jack studs underneath, said a 2x4 can carry maybe 1,000 pounds but a 2x6 with a crack carries nothing if it's not bearing fully. It hit different because I've been framing for 20 years and never once checked the full load path from ridge to footing. Has anyone else had a specialist point out a blind spot that made you recheck your older work?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
avery62924d ago
A 2x4 carrying 1,000 pounds is already pushing it if the grain runs the wrong way, so the crack thing isn't some big secret. I've pulled plenty of old headers out of 60s ranches where the jack studs were half rotted and the thing still held for 40 years. Engineering math is one thing, but houses don't read the code book, they just stand there or they don't.
6