Somehow I've managed to make my way around ever having to add a second story onto an existing residential building- I've always worked with new structures or ground-up additions. Well, now I've got a client wanting to add another story to their house and I realize I don't know how to proceed and I can't find a single reference in any framing and construction books I've got. Does anyone out there know where I could find some material on this?
I need to know if the framing is as simple as stripping down to the existing cap plate and building the 2nd story platform on top? Any bright ideas about reinforcing the existing walls to support the extra load?
For that matter- have any of you found some really great books on residential framing? Thanks
Make sure that loads can be traced down through the main floor to the foundation. Conceptually you should be able to figure out 80-90% of where things will need to be transfered down to. New pad footings into an existing foundation / basement is nasty and costly work we have a couple projects that require it and they both are a result of working on old buildings where the existing footings shouldn't have been allowed. we are working closely with both the contractor and structural Eng to see what is the easiest to do.
By that we mean we have to talk to the guy doing the grunt work in a 4" high crawlspace. He's not liking it one bit.
The foundation shouldn't be a problem- it's a simple structure with exterior bearing walls. Do you think adding additional vertical members between the sole plate and the cap plate should be sufficient to strengthen the walls for the new story?
the point that whistler is making, and that you may be glossing over a little too quickly, is that the condition of the foundation & the width of the footing may preclude additional imposed loads without some remediation or underpinning. you really need to know this variable.
depending on the age of the structure, typically, platform framed walls are sufficient to support an added second floor and roof gravity loads. if you start using beams to cellect floor loads and dropping new columns, you run the risk of overstressing the foundation - the soultion is to underpin in those situations.
depending on your seismic/wind zone, you'll almost certianly need to increase the lateral capacity of the building.
Mar 14, 06 6:52 pm ·
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Second Story Addition
Somehow I've managed to make my way around ever having to add a second story onto an existing residential building- I've always worked with new structures or ground-up additions. Well, now I've got a client wanting to add another story to their house and I realize I don't know how to proceed and I can't find a single reference in any framing and construction books I've got. Does anyone out there know where I could find some material on this?
I need to know if the framing is as simple as stripping down to the existing cap plate and building the 2nd story platform on top? Any bright ideas about reinforcing the existing walls to support the extra load?
For that matter- have any of you found some really great books on residential framing? Thanks
bring your structural engineer out to the site for a walk-thru and have them determine what, if any, reinforcement you need.
Make sure that loads can be traced down through the main floor to the foundation. Conceptually you should be able to figure out 80-90% of where things will need to be transfered down to. New pad footings into an existing foundation / basement is nasty and costly work we have a couple projects that require it and they both are a result of working on old buildings where the existing footings shouldn't have been allowed. we are working closely with both the contractor and structural Eng to see what is the easiest to do.
By that we mean we have to talk to the guy doing the grunt work in a 4" high crawlspace. He's not liking it one bit.
The foundation shouldn't be a problem- it's a simple structure with exterior bearing walls. Do you think adding additional vertical members between the sole plate and the cap plate should be sufficient to strengthen the walls for the new story?
the point that whistler is making, and that you may be glossing over a little too quickly, is that the condition of the foundation & the width of the footing may preclude additional imposed loads without some remediation or underpinning. you really need to know this variable.
depending on the age of the structure, typically, platform framed walls are sufficient to support an added second floor and roof gravity loads. if you start using beams to cellect floor loads and dropping new columns, you run the risk of overstressing the foundation - the soultion is to underpin in those situations.
depending on your seismic/wind zone, you'll almost certianly need to increase the lateral capacity of the building.
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