Frame is out of plumb on one wall. How concerned should I be?

Started by Erin, February 03, 2013, 10:43:26 AM

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Erin

I'm doing a post and beam house similar to a First Day Cottage. This will be the final, interior view, minus the bracing.  The insulation will go on the outside of the sheathing, followed by exterior siding, kind of like an SIP.

We'd had it plumbed and square the last time DH was home at Christmas (he's driving a truck in ND).  My bracing is still up and in my excitement to get going with the sheathing, now that the weather has finally warmed, I didn't recheck plumb until this point.  ::) The west half of that wall, to my son's left, is just a hair over 3/4" out of plumb.   I can see where the 16d duplex nails on my braces wrenched a bit when it moved.   
It leans to the west, into the prevailing winds.  For whatever weird reason, this makes me happier than if it were leaning away.  And this is obviously why I was planning a divergence from the First Day plan and will put up a plywood shear wall in my corners. 


My dilema:  I'm pretty sure I can't "persuade" this back into plumb with just a 13 year old to help and DH won't be home for another couple of weeks.  (No, I don't have a come-along, though I'm sure I could track one down if needs be).  If I'm not mistaken, code allows 3/4" for an 8' wall but I know it'll be a hassle when it comes time to put in windows and doors.  {correction, it's the NAHB with this rule of thumb and it's 3/8" over 32", or 1 1/8" over 8' which seems like a LOT!)

Do I want to try to fight this back into plumb?  Or do I just want to adjust doors and windows accordingly so they hang plumb in a frame that's not?
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

flyingvan

   "Plumb" is a myth.  That said, 3/4" sounds like a lot to me---It's your call, and everyone's tolerances will be different, but I would want it at least with 1/4" (no scientific data, just an opinion)
   I didn't even have a 13 year old to help---but I did have a good come-along, and used it frequently.  Whenever I was about to put up the shear panel I'd re-measure, then fine tune things.  You can hold the entire wall in place with some temporary diagonal bracing on the part of the wall you're not yet sheering.
    Looks to me like you could throw some webbing around the upper corners, hook a come-along to it, then anchor the other end on the low opposite side.  I would crank on it until it was tight then put a scrap block against the wood and whack it with the 'persuader' (big sledge hammer)

     Whenever you go to move stuff though, you have to think about what's moving.  It sounds like you figured that out already if your duplex nails pulled out some.
      Another trick since you don't have a come-along is you could run a through-bolt thruogh holes drilled through the top of a diagonal brace and somewhere near the top of the wall.  Then cut the bottom of the diagonal somewhat vertical and use a good screw clamp between it and the bottom of a stud.  Crank on it hard---if someone climbs upstairs to wiggle the whole structure back and forth it'll help gain the difference
Find what you love and let it kill you.


UK4X4

To me 3/4" is too much.

Even a decent 3-4" ratchet strap would probably work to bring it back into place

That 3/4" will haunt you as the build comes further along, you'll be constantly messing with things along the way.

Take the time now- adjust it - finish those corners top to bottom and add the shear panels

hpinson

And I believe a come along will come in handy for other things as well; and, they are readily available and not expensive from most hardware stores or Harbor Freight.

Erin

actually, the come-along won't be the challenging part.  The hard part is going to be planting something in the ground that I'll be able to hook it to...
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1


hpinson

Couldn't you anchor to a parked vehicle somehow? I use my rear reciever hitch for this sort of thing.

I'm intrigued by your build. Show us more!

Erin

I don't think so.  The hill sits funny on that side of the house. 
With a bit of finagling, I think I could get the pickup in there, but it would have to be perpendicular to the wall I need to pull. 
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

NavyDave

Could you possibly dig a trench and lay a 6x6 or something similar (railroad tie) into it to act as an anchor for your come along to attach to. I believe they call this a "dead man anchor"? Just a thought.

I agree with Hpinson...very interesting build

JRR

Without a come-along, you should be able to push it more plumb by using the bracing.  Just disconnect, or loosen, all but the top connection point and drive tapered shims, or something, under the  bottom ends.  You may want to first put in safety "stops" to prevent a falling structure.


Erin

I think I'd be better off with a post than a deadman.  If nothing else, it'd be easier to hook on to and I wouldn't have to dig as big of a hole.  ;)
And there aren't any bottom ends.  The center of the "posts" are tied into the beams below, that are holding up the floor (just like what's holding up the second floor).  I basically have to just wrench the tops over. 

It's within the range of the bubble on most of the posts (the three or four worst ones, the edge of the bubble is just past the line), but by being on the very edge of the range, rather than centered, it throws it that far out of plumb.   :-\
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

Don_P

Generally you can tie off to the floor somewhere and pull whatever is leaning out back in. A length of rope and a stick to twist in it can tweak most things. A 1/2" lag over the edge into the rim might be one tie and lashed around an upper floor beam over the outward leaning corner at the wall diagonally opposite as the other point.

Diagonal sheathing would lock it, horizontal will let the wall slip back unless there is some bracing or some sheets of ply.

Now where I parked the truck today... that's going to take the big come along  :D

Erin

Yeah, like I said in my first post, I'm going to be putting plywood up also in order to create a shear wall.
QuoteA length of rope and a stick to twist in it can tweak most things. A 1/2" lag over the edge into the rim might be one tie and lashed around an upper floor beam over the outward leaning corner at the wall diagonally opposite as the other point.
I think this is what I'm going to try first.  And, if it works, I can leave it that way while I re-do the wall.
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

NM_Shooter

Please use caution.  Removing bracing in order to tweak could result in the structure becoming unstable.  Often when using a comealong to convince something into place, I also put a "don't come along" so that I can't overpull on a wall and have it topple. 

It appears that you have some significant mass overhead, which could try to get away if something pops or it racks in a hurry. 

Remember to check the middle of the structure for plumb too, not just the end walls.  If you already have the floor or roof deck on, you may not be able to fix any bowing in the center of the structure.  Is that ceiling in the picture you posted a square surface?

Edit:  BTW, you can also attach a 4x4X8' along your opposite rim joist with 8" or so protruding out that you can latch your pull structure onto.  You frequently don't need a whole lot of force to rack that wall over. 

"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

Erin

Yeah, I think that's why I'm going to try Don's trick with a twisted rope, first.  I think I'll be able to control small movement that way easier than with a come-along.
The come-along will be next if the rope doesn't work... 

ETA:  Regarding the concern about something coming down--it's not like anything is truly leaning.  Like I said, 3/4 of an inch is still within the bubble's lines on a 5' level.   I've lived in old houses that were considerably farther out than that.  ;)
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1


NM_Shooter

I bet that will work just fine.  Be sure and stand outside the structure when twisting on it  ;D  a rope tensioner is more like a spring than a cable is, and it tends to keep pulling even though the endpoints move together.  Cables relax in a shorter distance than ropes do.

Good job on fixing this; it is the right decision.  Let us know how it works out.
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

Don_P

I like simple machines. These aren't really related to the topic  d* but they're some neat shots I had on photobucket of raising the shop.
This is looking over the windlass, a length of 6" well casing with 4 handles welded to it abot 3' long each. I've got the "brake" set, a piece of motorgrader blade hinged to drop behind the vertical handle at any time. The cable runs over the gin pole to the timber bent.


We stopped to rest and check everything midway.


The first bent was raised using a tractor and long cable from the terrace above. It actually took a truck hooked to the tractor and it was way too exciting. NM_Shooter's warnings were written all over that lift. I wanted to do it slower and with control. A little cyphering while kicking around in my pile of secret weapons produced the lifting engine, or gin. Michelle and I raised the remaining 3 bents by hand with no spinning tires and jerks to the frame, and much better control. As the frame goes vertical you can raise it with a push.

NM_Shooter

That is entirely too cool.  I saw a video of a guy that was known for raising or moving anything with just levers, rocks, and counterweights.

I once moved a 12X16 shed with a loft that was up on piers.  I built rails under it in the direction that I wanted it to go, and I put 2" rollers between the skids under the shed and the rails that I built.  The rails and skids were 2x material. 

I had to put some tension on the thing to get it to go.  When it finally started moving, the darn thing started rolling, and kept rolling  [scared] and went about 18" before it stopped.  Turns out when I lowered the shed on the rollers, the wood dented and it was keeping the shed in place until I started it rolling.  I darn near had a heart attack, as my "plan" was to have it only roll about 3 or 4 inches at a time, and then tweak the direction by levering on the roller tubes. 

I quickly learned the importance of a "don't come along" strap on the back of my shed and I only put 4" of slack in it from then on  ;D
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

KWillets

There's a technique for pushing plumb with bowed 1x4 or 1x6 push stick.  The basic idea is to brace a flexible board between the top plate and the floor, bow it downwards, then anchor the bottom with your foot or a cleat.  Lifting the bow then creates a lot of pressure on the plate.

Not sure if this link works:

http://books.google.com/books?id=s-xF0nyC24sC&pg=PA42&lpg=PA42&dq=plumb+push+framing+board&source=bl&ots=X_8qBFgUPf&sig=_kMs210ODLs-1L-w5OmmTqVfxT8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8S0TUYafGYfxiwLd84CICw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=plumb%20push%20framing%20board&f=false