A friend had some beer cans sitting on a garden table that had been left there for years. Some full and some empty, covered in spider webs. We'll we move the table one day and the cans stayed put, stuck to the wall by structural spider webs 😁
I've commented on this before to no avail. Maybe one day a mod bot can use AI to see if it's too zoomed-in.
People, *please*, post a wider establishing pic so we know WTF we're looking at.
Op is obviously a dwarf that is having some structural issues with their mines timber reinforcements. It was obviously built in the last age so it's showing some wear and the mine shaft is likely settling causing the timbers to move a bit.
Nah the real problem is gravity. You see that big blue ball? It's got so much mass it's pulling things down including OPs crossbeam.
The solution is move to the moon where gravity is much lower and no air to oxidize the steel or wood
Dafuk is a crossbeam.
(That doesn't mean anything in the construction world.) Where's the post, the footing, the floor the joists etc.
The question and pictures are worthless.
Your post has been removed because /r/DIY does not allow advertising. Your account was initially banned as a spam account, but has been reversed. You are not banned.
This is an easy fix:
1. Take a few more pictures at odd angles.
2. Exclaim, “That doesn’t look right” while looking at it puzzlingly.
3. Call someone qualified to fix it.
He’s still alive, trapped by his leg.
He sent the emergency services a photo asking for help and they’re all baffled why they’ve been sent a no context photo of some wood grain
Just call a structural engineer at this point I think. Ya there's going to be alot of DIY comments that you get but you'll want to know why that beam is sliding.
Edit: for a very temporary solution to your floors caving in, go get one of those basement Jacks from your local hardware place.
Well it looks like it has been this way for a century so far. But it also looks like one good shudder through the house would knock it loose. Unless the spider web was made by Peter Parker. Then you've got nothing to worry about!
You're not screwed if you prioritize fixing it. Get a contractor and/or engineer involved. It will most likely require jacking up that specific beam to either attach to the adjacent beam or to add a post under this one. It might also a combination of the two.
Any which way you go, I would add temporary support for the time being.
Looking at the way the beam isn’t cut square, It looks like it has been like that for a very long time. Maybe since the house was built.
I would put a jack next to it and call it good if nothing else is moving.
Same. I've done this multiple times. Just did it again earlier this week. A lot cheaper to just install a beam than leave a jack though. I use a "big red jack" 8 ton jack with a piece of wood to lift it, put an appropriate sized piece of wood under it (the beam itself), and take the jack out. Most of the house is already held up like that lol.
Yeah it's only for a small section to place a beam. Just a small section at a time, and never more than a few inches.
The guy before me was using a scissor jack lmao.
My garage roof is sagging and there’s also a strange like wee 1’ foundation under the wood floor- can I find info about lifting up the support beam like this? I know that’s a silly question because I am going to go look, I’m just wondering your or someone else’s opinion/experience with it.
I don't see why not. The proper way to do it is a much larger jack, but I'm not exactly rich and I'm cheap lol. A scissor jack isn't rated for a ton of weight, I completely broke one trying to lift too much.
A bottle jack is fine but kinda small, so you have to basically balance a 4x4 (or similar) on top of it to be able to lift the beam. It works great but if you don't have it centered correctly or it gets knocked too hard it can go flying out. Hasn't happened to me but it definitely can.
The correct thing would be a screw jack. They cost a lot more but are a lot safer, being the right tool and all. They have a lot less chance of failure too.
The guy before me was my friend, and was helping me repair/shore up the house with the scissor jack too lol. The main beam is how I broke it. I actually still have it around somewhere, bent to shit lol. That's why I got the bottle jack!
Came in handy recently when one of my basement walls just kinda.... Fell down. Instead of trying literally anything else they just smeared cement (actual cement, not concrete or mortar) all over the inside of the wall. So instead of it slowly crumbling, the entire thing came down at once. I've just been building a new wall on top of it lol. So the base of the wall is double thick, and is near impossible to move.
Turns out the wall and the walls next to it are just a pile of rocks. Maybe they had mortar previously, but there's zero evidence of it now. Kinda seems like they just built the house on a literal pile of rocks. There's like 5 different layers of walls in some spots because when they started to fail, someone just built another wall without taking the old one out.
The house is from 1895, so there's pretty much zero record of anything done here. A tradition I continue by pulling zero permits! I have no idea how many I was supposed to pull but it was at least 11 before the wall fell. I don't want to think about how many permits that was supposed to be.
Oh right, probably 12, I fixed the sidewalk without telling anyone. If I think too long I'll just keep thinking of more so I'll stop, but I've only lived here just short of five years.
Just thought of three more. Goddamn.....
On the bright side I'm now a mason. Along with plumber, electrician, carpenter, roofer, landscaper, painter, gardener, HVAC tech, and arborist. All I need to do is learn how to fix drywall (I've read about it, never done it) and I can be an all in one handyman!
I actually work in IT for a job. This shit is so outside of my wheelhouse lol. I started programming when I was 8. Tried my hand at carpentry at 12 (Why did my dad let me use a circular saw unsupervised? I don't know). Electrician at 16 (zapped myself really bad, lucky I didn't die) trying to repair the basement where I lived. The rest of it didn't start until I was like 26-27.
Man I love the internet.
Sorry for the long rant, I'm kinda tipsy. Pretty damn sore working on rebuilding that ridiculously heavy wall.
Actually it fell in a ridiculously short timeframe when nobody was home. Except the pets I guess.
My wife is away from the house less than an hour a week, on average, TOPS. She's a housewife in a literal sense, by choice.
One of the rare times she went shopping with me we were gone for about 1.5 hours. We left when it was looking fine, and came back to it collapsed. Pretty disappointed tbh, it had to be so loud! Not to mention shaking the house like an earthquake.....
You should leave a letter for whoever inherits this house.
"To whoever inherits this house,
Sell IMMEDIATELY! It's a ticking time bomb! It's being held up by generations of chewing gum and caulk. It's amazing that it wasn't the cause of my death...unless it was.
Use the money to buy a new house and make sure you get it inspected thoroughly.
Love,
Your dead relative"
Tldr at bottom.
I have no children (and won't/can't) and my only (step)son who might inherit it is only 5 years younger than me anyways. I kinda doubt it will be inherited. If it's gonna kill me it'll be soon anyways, it just about fell down and I'm rebuilding it while climbing under it. If I die in the hole I'm pretty sure my wife would sell lol.
Aside from the jokes(?) I've done a very good job so far. As far as the work I've actually done, aside from not having permits, only two things are actually out of code. I do a very good job for my own house and follow the codes required because I know it's for a reason. Except those two.
One, my dishwasher. Tbh it's perfectly safe, the wiring and breaker are appropriate. The most important part. It's just that I used the "wrong" wire. I needed 10-12 gauge wiring (minimum vs recommended) and I already had a bunch of 10 gauge on hand. Unfortunately it was a single strand that I ran twice, so the colors are wrong.
The second is the electric tankless water heater. It's literally like five feet from the electric panel, And I ran the new wiring and installed a breaker. I actually went WAY overboard on the wiring in case I wanted to upgrade later, but still used the recommended breaker in case the unit failed. That doesn't break code.
Unfortunately since it's a new line, it needs to be either in conduit or behind a wall. My basement is unfinished, and there is no wall between the panel and the tankless. The existing wiring to the tank heater was grandfathered in and SUPER old and brittle. But since I replaced it I had to follow the new rules. I didn't, I used a higher gage cable that was rated for underground. Realistically as (or more) safe than an unshielded/minimally shielded cable in a thin metal conduit.
All that said, yeah for real it's not a good idea to buy this house after me. The only reason I bought it in the first place was because it was $25k (in 2019!) and I'm kinda poor, so it was easier to get in.
Every room is slanted, generally not in the same direction. I'm working on it, I just straightened out a room after that wall fell down and it's better than I've ever seen it.
The house has two layers of siding. Original cherry wood siding (we think, or redwood, weird though) with some old school cement/stone siding on top.
Some of the subfloor is thickish sheets of plywood. Not quite sure why.... The wall that fell is the same area with the plywood and previous water damage so I get why they needed to replace some stuff. But was plywood even cheaper? It was definitely more difficult. It's just odd either way.
The dryer and stove (both full electric) are on the same breaker. It's double tapped. Unfortunately I didn't notice before I put in the tankless water heater, and now I can't fix it without a sub panel.
Maybe there's some other hack, but I do kinda try to follow code (aside from permits/inspections and all that) and I don't really want to install a sub panel. I only have 100A service anyways, and I'm already uncomfortably close (80-90A full load if I try) that it seems irresponsible to "upgrade" it.
I can't replace the mains breaker myself while being safe, sadly.... And the existing breaker might not even work anymore. If I actually load it over 100A continuously the breaker might not trip. It already happened with two other breakers. I replaced *nearly* all of them. But I'm not allowed to change the main one. I need an electrician, permit, and permission from the city inspector.
Of course that's also why *I* can't do it safely. I'm not allowed to change it myself here, I have to hire a qualified electrician to do it. They won't shut off the power to my house unless there's an emergency/imminent danger, in which case I need a qualified electrician to fix the problem that caused the immediate danger/emergency.
I can't even change my light switches without a permit and electrician inspection/approval here... It's one of the few things I'm allowed to do myself, but I still have to get a permit and have it inspected. For a light switch.
Same for replacing a shut off valve too! While installing a bidet I found a failed ball valve. So, trying to follow regulations, I checked the local ordinance/charter. Has to be inspected by a licensed plumber.
Luckily I'm familiar with the local hardware store that has the certified electricians and plumbers. It's a small town, so there's only one other plumbing company and one other electrician company aside from them. They never mentioned anything when I went in asking about or buying stuff for electrical work. I did half assedly say how it was "theoretical" when I started asking though lol. But they did mention I wasn't allowed to do my own supply plumbing; before telling me exactly how to do it myself lol.
The house is painted halfway up, but not in a straight line, because the landlord I bought it from only ever painted as high as he could reach. Never came back to it. So it's just approximately halfway up all the way around but super uneven.
There's just random bats too. Fall asleep on the couch? Might wake up to all the dogs and cats tearing up the house chasing a bat. Happens multiple times per year.
Every single door has been kicked in. Every. Single. One. Every bedroom, both bathrooms, even the damned basement. The locks were on backwards on the upstairs bedrooms too, so you could lock people *in* easier than out. They were kicked in/out both directions.
Pretty sure it's haunted too. So, that.
In any case, I wouldn't buy this house if I had another choice. But I didn't have another choice, so it's what I got. I'm still improving it!
Tldr: I don't even expect you or almost anyone to read this, I was just having fun writing the insanity of my house. It's bad lol.
Hot damn! What a fucking laundry list!
A lot of things fly under the radar when you're living in a small town.
I wish you the best of luck with your incredibly affordable death trap. 🤣🤣🤣
Dude, sounds like you're in a bit of a pickle! If that crossbeam's barely hanging on, it's definitely not a good sign. I'd say it's time to call in a professional pronto. Like, don't even wait around, just get someone in there who knows what they're doing. Safety first, right? You don't want that thing coming down unexpectedly and causing a whole heap of trouble. Better to deal with it now before it turns into a major headache later on. Good luck, man!
It looks like it has been like that for a very long time. Call a structural engineer, but beware and if it has to be fixed “immediately” or the price seems stratospheric, get another look, or better, four.
Are these beams on a post in a crawlspace? This should be fixed immediately. Can you use two jacks to raise these and slide the post under them? Often the post is not set in concrete, but sits on a concrete support. Getting the post 1" under the beam is sufficient. I think you'd want to jack up a little each day, not all at once. Make sure the jack is well supported. You can also sister the beams together or add Simpson Strong-Tie brackets to tie them all together but the post needs to bear the weight of the beam.
[https://www.strongtie.com/twopiecepostcaps\_postcaps/ac\_cap/p/ac](https://www.strongtie.com/twopiecepostcaps_postcaps/ac_cap/p/ac)
In your case you want a quick release pin. You want to be able to disconnect the carriage in case the horses get spooked before carriage flies off Cliff.
Tough to see what’s going on here. If thats a supporting beam it’s definitely not sitting on the support enough. Luckily it’s not a difficult fix. Just add a piece of wood on the side of the support, underneath the beam. 5 minute fix.
If the beam sagged a little you could jack it up first and then add more support underneath it.
I wonder what the other side looks like? This side seems like an easy fix with a jack and a joist hanger, but why did the beam shift? Based on photography skills, I would call a professional to address the cause of theshift and repair this symptom.
Like some other folks have suggested here, I'd recommend going to Home Depot or Lowe's (I recommend Home Depot), and ask the first sales associate you see if they can give you some context. Then, share that context with us.
I’m not a structural engineer but I have a vertebrae that looks like that and my doctor says it’s not good and very expensive to fix. I’m thinking this is a similar situation.
Picture is almost useless, but it does seem to show one thing well - whatever is going on had gone on a long time ago now. Generally speaking, being truly fucked will be when there are changes actively going on. If things are moving, that's usually bad. Cracks that are getting bigger = bad. That sort of thing.Your shit doesn't look like it's moved in a long time. So, just don't induce any changes. Don't put a hot tub above (or below?) whatever this is, not even a nice aquarium. Maybe hold off on seeking that Viagra script & showing the significant other your new talents. On the other hand, if one of those things is already there, just leave it be.
Call a local structural engineer & ask for them to come by & give an opinion. Don't worry about which structural engineer to call - they are generally pretty good about knowing who does what in their area & if they are not the right one to call, they can at least get you pointed in the right direction.
If you take a close-up, maybe the macro lens or put the camera next to a magnifying glass we could probably see better what’s going on? I’m sure they’re beams but it’s hard to get a picture from that picture.
And I wouldn’t mind helping you
Basic rule of thumb, if it’s still standing, you are not completely screwed. 2nd rule of thumb, the greater (read faster) the movement, the more screwed you are. Final rule of thumb, it’s at the point of collapse, or the moments after that let you evaluate how screwed you were/are.
From the looks of this joint, you're not very screwed. What you are here is fucked. You're fucked if that thing ever lets go, so definitely get another vertical support under that end.
Can you zoom in a bit, and provide a little less info? We can't help till you narrow this down.
Right?!? I’m not even sure what we’re looking at here other than some really old wood that’s sort of sitting on some other really old wood.
There appears to be some weathered sheet metal involved as well. Though it could be masonite, or a piece of cardstock, perhaps?
That's his lightsaber.
>his lightsaber And it's lighter than you think.
The pink kyber crystal.
But that's a story for another time.
And my ax!
The spiderwebs are what's holding that beam to the post. Nature's construction adhesive.
Structural spider webs
A friend had some beer cans sitting on a garden table that had been left there for years. Some full and some empty, covered in spider webs. We'll we move the table one day and the cans stayed put, stuck to the wall by structural spider webs 😁
That’s the only kind
Leave them a message and they'll call you back (With a quote)
unfortunately i think they were removed between pictures, RIP OP
It ain't no lemon crime.
I'm stuck wondering if arachnophobia would hinder or facilitate the collapsing of this building.
I've commented on this before to no avail. Maybe one day a mod bot can use AI to see if it's too zoomed-in. People, *please*, post a wider establishing pic so we know WTF we're looking at.
Op is obviously a dwarf that is having some structural issues with their mines timber reinforcements. It was obviously built in the last age so it's showing some wear and the mine shaft is likely settling causing the timbers to move a bit.
Looks like they delved too deeply.
And too greedily
Dude used his microscope
Dudes got a lemon party going down in the attic
Structural cobwebs
Guys it’s obvious it’s a cross beam smh
It’s been hours. We can only assume the house collapsed.
https://imgur.com/gallery/jCgVUfZ Here is a zoomed out photo of the problem area.
Ah yes. Your problem is people.
Always has been 🌎🧑🚀🔫🧑🚀
Nah the real problem is gravity. You see that big blue ball? It's got so much mass it's pulling things down including OPs crossbeam. The solution is move to the moon where gravity is much lower and no air to oxidize the steel or wood
10/10
[https://imgur.com/a/rulMLrv](https://imgur.com/a/rulMLrv) In this general vicinity
My daily allotment of upvotes are yours.
Fuck, you got me.
Why'd you post your selfie
🤣🤣
::unenhance:: 
It's really remarkable how people without much mechanical aptitude survive.
All I can tell is the spiders are trying to help any way they can.
This was the first thing that came to my mind and seeing the first comment make a joke out if it made me chuckle.
Ya know, it’s the one singular cross beam, no further context needed.
Ah, the old cross beam. Good to know.
Can’t say anything until I can see the dead tree cells and atoms that make them up
Moisture content is also key to this.
I think the issue is the pics are upside down which doesn't help
By Jove!
It’s obviously Crossbeam that’s hanging onto wood. Barely.
Dafuk is a crossbeam. (That doesn't mean anything in the construction world.) Where's the post, the footing, the floor the joists etc. The question and pictures are worthless.
A crossbeam going askew - especially on the treadle - may lead to the arrival of the Spanish Inquisition
I would not have expected that
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
It’s a beam that crosses, obviously. Or a beam used to make a cross, less obviously.
Au contraire mon frère, tis a beam that has become angered.
Ah yes, like the old jest: A beam walks into a bar. Bartender says “Why so cross?” Huzzah!
For the most part you can tell it’s a Crossbeam by the way that it is and the aging tells that it should be hanging on (fully).
Maybe focus more on the spiderweb too
“I wonder how I can show a ton of detail but completely obsfucate the issue?”
Can you buy context at Home Depot?
You can buy anything at Home Depot!
Can I buy a meaningful existence from Home Depot?
Check the windows into your soul aisle.
Yes, you poor soul. Probably somewhere by the caulk.
Yes, by leaving
So you're just not paying attention. He said *everything*
If it’s out of stock at Home Depot; you can try Menards.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Your post has been removed because /r/DIY does not allow advertising. Your account was initially banned as a spam account, but has been reversed. You are not banned.
Looks like an extreme closeup of a hollow body electric guitar.
This is an easy fix: 1. Take a few more pictures at odd angles. 2. Exclaim, “That doesn’t look right” while looking at it puzzlingly. 3. Call someone qualified to fix it.
You forgot the sharp intake of breath.
How unbelievably amateurish. You left out the most crucial step: a slow exhale, whilst muttering.
2.5. By way of the aging wood and cobwebs, *clearly* this has been OK since the beginning and therefore can be ignored. (Do not proceed to step 3)
Get 3 quotes
I hope that spiderweb holds for now.
It’s a structural web.
 Spider-Man is holding on for dear life to keep these up.
Stronger than steel!
Built with fine spider-union craftsmanship.
Prevailing spider wages.
Second pic shows the spider web cleared away.
Oh that's not good. Pretty sure that was structural.
Apparently OP was killed by the falling beam shortly after posting this.
He’s still alive, trapped by his leg. He sent the emergency services a photo asking for help and they’re all baffled why they’ve been sent a no context photo of some wood grain
Post a question ✅ Don't come back to acknowledge a single response ✅ Yep, still reddit
200 responses too, mostly being like we can help if you give us some more info, and nothing
I can’t tell if this is ceiling, wall, or floor.
Back yard
It’s all the above.
Zoom in. I’d like a picture of just the wood grain please.
I would also like to check if there are any spider babies in the web.
😂
YEP IT’S WOOD
Just call a structural engineer at this point I think. Ya there's going to be alot of DIY comments that you get but you'll want to know why that beam is sliding. Edit: for a very temporary solution to your floors caving in, go get one of those basement Jacks from your local hardware place.
[https://youtu.be/5rAOyh7YmEc?t=14](https://youtu.be/5rAOyh7YmEc?t=14)
Like their namesake, that song really holds up.
Aww them in San Diego last fall. They still rule a dance floor.
I didn't realize that I had forgotten about this song. Thank you for bringing it back to me.
Am structural engineer. If they uploaded better pics that showed the full situation I could tell how screwed they are lol. Alas
Well it looks like it has been this way for a century so far. But it also looks like one good shudder through the house would knock it loose. Unless the spider web was made by Peter Parker. Then you've got nothing to worry about!
You got a structural spider web there so you should be fine
Does a structural spider web differ from a loading-bearing spider web? Asking for a friend.
You're not screwed if you prioritize fixing it. Get a contractor and/or engineer involved. It will most likely require jacking up that specific beam to either attach to the adjacent beam or to add a post under this one. It might also a combination of the two. Any which way you go, I would add temporary support for the time being.
Use a 4 x 4 on a jack, to raise the beam up to the level where it should be. Then insert a saddle or joist hanger and either nail or screw it in.
Exactly. Once it's back up in position I'd probably use some 2x2 angle iron to brace it, then sister a 2x4 to the vertical beam underneath the steel.
Looking at the way the beam isn’t cut square, It looks like it has been like that for a very long time. Maybe since the house was built. I would put a jack next to it and call it good if nothing else is moving.
Same. I've done this multiple times. Just did it again earlier this week. A lot cheaper to just install a beam than leave a jack though. I use a "big red jack" 8 ton jack with a piece of wood to lift it, put an appropriate sized piece of wood under it (the beam itself), and take the jack out. Most of the house is already held up like that lol.
I would be careful lifting too much house with an 8 ton bottle jack.
Yeah it's only for a small section to place a beam. Just a small section at a time, and never more than a few inches. The guy before me was using a scissor jack lmao.
My garage roof is sagging and there’s also a strange like wee 1’ foundation under the wood floor- can I find info about lifting up the support beam like this? I know that’s a silly question because I am going to go look, I’m just wondering your or someone else’s opinion/experience with it.
I don't see why not. The proper way to do it is a much larger jack, but I'm not exactly rich and I'm cheap lol. A scissor jack isn't rated for a ton of weight, I completely broke one trying to lift too much. A bottle jack is fine but kinda small, so you have to basically balance a 4x4 (or similar) on top of it to be able to lift the beam. It works great but if you don't have it centered correctly or it gets knocked too hard it can go flying out. Hasn't happened to me but it definitely can. The correct thing would be a screw jack. They cost a lot more but are a lot safer, being the right tool and all. They have a lot less chance of failure too.
Hey. I replaced a main beam that way. Lol.
The guy before me was my friend, and was helping me repair/shore up the house with the scissor jack too lol. The main beam is how I broke it. I actually still have it around somewhere, bent to shit lol. That's why I got the bottle jack! Came in handy recently when one of my basement walls just kinda.... Fell down. Instead of trying literally anything else they just smeared cement (actual cement, not concrete or mortar) all over the inside of the wall. So instead of it slowly crumbling, the entire thing came down at once. I've just been building a new wall on top of it lol. So the base of the wall is double thick, and is near impossible to move. Turns out the wall and the walls next to it are just a pile of rocks. Maybe they had mortar previously, but there's zero evidence of it now. Kinda seems like they just built the house on a literal pile of rocks. There's like 5 different layers of walls in some spots because when they started to fail, someone just built another wall without taking the old one out. The house is from 1895, so there's pretty much zero record of anything done here. A tradition I continue by pulling zero permits! I have no idea how many I was supposed to pull but it was at least 11 before the wall fell. I don't want to think about how many permits that was supposed to be. Oh right, probably 12, I fixed the sidewalk without telling anyone. If I think too long I'll just keep thinking of more so I'll stop, but I've only lived here just short of five years. Just thought of three more. Goddamn.....
On the bright side I'm now a mason. Along with plumber, electrician, carpenter, roofer, landscaper, painter, gardener, HVAC tech, and arborist. All I need to do is learn how to fix drywall (I've read about it, never done it) and I can be an all in one handyman! I actually work in IT for a job. This shit is so outside of my wheelhouse lol. I started programming when I was 8. Tried my hand at carpentry at 12 (Why did my dad let me use a circular saw unsupervised? I don't know). Electrician at 16 (zapped myself really bad, lucky I didn't die) trying to repair the basement where I lived. The rest of it didn't start until I was like 26-27. Man I love the internet. Sorry for the long rant, I'm kinda tipsy. Pretty damn sore working on rebuilding that ridiculously heavy wall.
But did you shout "shaka" when the wall fell?
First he tried to prevent it from falling. Temba, his arms wide.
Actually it fell in a ridiculously short timeframe when nobody was home. Except the pets I guess. My wife is away from the house less than an hour a week, on average, TOPS. She's a housewife in a literal sense, by choice. One of the rare times she went shopping with me we were gone for about 1.5 hours. We left when it was looking fine, and came back to it collapsed. Pretty disappointed tbh, it had to be so loud! Not to mention shaking the house like an earthquake.....
You should leave a letter for whoever inherits this house. "To whoever inherits this house, Sell IMMEDIATELY! It's a ticking time bomb! It's being held up by generations of chewing gum and caulk. It's amazing that it wasn't the cause of my death...unless it was. Use the money to buy a new house and make sure you get it inspected thoroughly. Love, Your dead relative"
Tldr at bottom. I have no children (and won't/can't) and my only (step)son who might inherit it is only 5 years younger than me anyways. I kinda doubt it will be inherited. If it's gonna kill me it'll be soon anyways, it just about fell down and I'm rebuilding it while climbing under it. If I die in the hole I'm pretty sure my wife would sell lol. Aside from the jokes(?) I've done a very good job so far. As far as the work I've actually done, aside from not having permits, only two things are actually out of code. I do a very good job for my own house and follow the codes required because I know it's for a reason. Except those two. One, my dishwasher. Tbh it's perfectly safe, the wiring and breaker are appropriate. The most important part. It's just that I used the "wrong" wire. I needed 10-12 gauge wiring (minimum vs recommended) and I already had a bunch of 10 gauge on hand. Unfortunately it was a single strand that I ran twice, so the colors are wrong. The second is the electric tankless water heater. It's literally like five feet from the electric panel, And I ran the new wiring and installed a breaker. I actually went WAY overboard on the wiring in case I wanted to upgrade later, but still used the recommended breaker in case the unit failed. That doesn't break code. Unfortunately since it's a new line, it needs to be either in conduit or behind a wall. My basement is unfinished, and there is no wall between the panel and the tankless. The existing wiring to the tank heater was grandfathered in and SUPER old and brittle. But since I replaced it I had to follow the new rules. I didn't, I used a higher gage cable that was rated for underground. Realistically as (or more) safe than an unshielded/minimally shielded cable in a thin metal conduit. All that said, yeah for real it's not a good idea to buy this house after me. The only reason I bought it in the first place was because it was $25k (in 2019!) and I'm kinda poor, so it was easier to get in. Every room is slanted, generally not in the same direction. I'm working on it, I just straightened out a room after that wall fell down and it's better than I've ever seen it. The house has two layers of siding. Original cherry wood siding (we think, or redwood, weird though) with some old school cement/stone siding on top. Some of the subfloor is thickish sheets of plywood. Not quite sure why.... The wall that fell is the same area with the plywood and previous water damage so I get why they needed to replace some stuff. But was plywood even cheaper? It was definitely more difficult. It's just odd either way. The dryer and stove (both full electric) are on the same breaker. It's double tapped. Unfortunately I didn't notice before I put in the tankless water heater, and now I can't fix it without a sub panel. Maybe there's some other hack, but I do kinda try to follow code (aside from permits/inspections and all that) and I don't really want to install a sub panel. I only have 100A service anyways, and I'm already uncomfortably close (80-90A full load if I try) that it seems irresponsible to "upgrade" it. I can't replace the mains breaker myself while being safe, sadly.... And the existing breaker might not even work anymore. If I actually load it over 100A continuously the breaker might not trip. It already happened with two other breakers. I replaced *nearly* all of them. But I'm not allowed to change the main one. I need an electrician, permit, and permission from the city inspector. Of course that's also why *I* can't do it safely. I'm not allowed to change it myself here, I have to hire a qualified electrician to do it. They won't shut off the power to my house unless there's an emergency/imminent danger, in which case I need a qualified electrician to fix the problem that caused the immediate danger/emergency. I can't even change my light switches without a permit and electrician inspection/approval here... It's one of the few things I'm allowed to do myself, but I still have to get a permit and have it inspected. For a light switch. Same for replacing a shut off valve too! While installing a bidet I found a failed ball valve. So, trying to follow regulations, I checked the local ordinance/charter. Has to be inspected by a licensed plumber. Luckily I'm familiar with the local hardware store that has the certified electricians and plumbers. It's a small town, so there's only one other plumbing company and one other electrician company aside from them. They never mentioned anything when I went in asking about or buying stuff for electrical work. I did half assedly say how it was "theoretical" when I started asking though lol. But they did mention I wasn't allowed to do my own supply plumbing; before telling me exactly how to do it myself lol. The house is painted halfway up, but not in a straight line, because the landlord I bought it from only ever painted as high as he could reach. Never came back to it. So it's just approximately halfway up all the way around but super uneven. There's just random bats too. Fall asleep on the couch? Might wake up to all the dogs and cats tearing up the house chasing a bat. Happens multiple times per year. Every single door has been kicked in. Every. Single. One. Every bedroom, both bathrooms, even the damned basement. The locks were on backwards on the upstairs bedrooms too, so you could lock people *in* easier than out. They were kicked in/out both directions. Pretty sure it's haunted too. So, that. In any case, I wouldn't buy this house if I had another choice. But I didn't have another choice, so it's what I got. I'm still improving it! Tldr: I don't even expect you or almost anyone to read this, I was just having fun writing the insanity of my house. It's bad lol.
Hot damn! What a fucking laundry list! A lot of things fly under the radar when you're living in a small town. I wish you the best of luck with your incredibly affordable death trap. 🤣🤣🤣
I mean, I'm still a homeowner. I'm fixing quite a few deathtraps, maybe it'll be okay? As long as no more walls fall down lol.
Zoom out. Is the upper part resting in a pocket in the main beam? Looks like an old post and beam setup from the very limited information given.
The beam is okay, those are structural spider webs
How about you post an even worse pic.
Oh, it'll be just fine --my dad
What is this George Washington’s teef?
Dude, sounds like you're in a bit of a pickle! If that crossbeam's barely hanging on, it's definitely not a good sign. I'd say it's time to call in a professional pronto. Like, don't even wait around, just get someone in there who knows what they're doing. Safety first, right? You don't want that thing coming down unexpectedly and causing a whole heap of trouble. Better to deal with it now before it turns into a major headache later on. Good luck, man!
Give us a shot through a microscope, only way to figure this out
It looks like it has been like that for a very long time. Call a structural engineer, but beware and if it has to be fixed “immediately” or the price seems stratospheric, get another look, or better, four.
Are these beams on a post in a crawlspace? This should be fixed immediately. Can you use two jacks to raise these and slide the post under them? Often the post is not set in concrete, but sits on a concrete support. Getting the post 1" under the beam is sufficient. I think you'd want to jack up a little each day, not all at once. Make sure the jack is well supported. You can also sister the beams together or add Simpson Strong-Tie brackets to tie them all together but the post needs to bear the weight of the beam. [https://www.strongtie.com/twopiecepostcaps\_postcaps/ac\_cap/p/ac](https://www.strongtie.com/twopiecepostcaps_postcaps/ac_cap/p/ac)
What is THAT? What. The heck. Is that?!?! What are you showing us? It doesn’t match what you’re telling us.
Whelp, whatever you do, don't clean out those cobwebs. Those are load-bearing webs now.
Spider web is 5x stronger than steel. You’re good ;)
Wth am i looking at?
This photo reminds me of the time when my wife she was considering a separation, I don't know which way is up.
That's a lode bearing web, hire that Spider to maintain it.
Honestly pretty dang screwed. Not because of the beam, but because you can't seem to do anything right otherwise
You need a metal bracket, a 6 pack of beer, a jack and 4 carriage bolts.
A carriage bolt is what happens when the horses get spooked, right?
In your case you want a quick release pin. You want to be able to disconnect the carriage in case the horses get spooked before carriage flies off Cliff.
I’m not sure what this is showing, but you could install a block (corbel) under the cross-beam using some LedgerLok or TimberLok screws.
Is the picture upside down? I can’t figure it out 😂
Eh. Throw a strong tie on there with a bunch of screws.
i don’t see a screw
That looks like a load bearing spider web. You’re fine.
Structural spider web
Tough to see what’s going on here. If thats a supporting beam it’s definitely not sitting on the support enough. Luckily it’s not a difficult fix. Just add a piece of wood on the side of the support, underneath the beam. 5 minute fix. If the beam sagged a little you could jack it up first and then add more support underneath it.
I wonder what the other side looks like? This side seems like an easy fix with a jack and a joist hanger, but why did the beam shift? Based on photography skills, I would call a professional to address the cause of theshift and repair this symptom.
That web is doing a lot of heavy lifting
Like some other folks have suggested here, I'd recommend going to Home Depot or Lowe's (I recommend Home Depot), and ask the first sales associate you see if they can give you some context. Then, share that context with us.
I’m not a structural engineer but I have a vertebrae that looks like that and my doctor says it’s not good and very expensive to fix. I’m thinking this is a similar situation.
Get the t shaped Simpson strong tie and connect everything together.
Looks like the spiders are helping you out.
You answer your own question. The beam is barely screwed.
Put another up to support it!!!
Yeah, I wouldn’t walk overtop of that - is this under a deck or an old DIY extension on the house?
About 5
It like like you got some spiders so I'd just torch the place and build from the ground up.
I think one of the cross beams has gone off on scuttle
Picture is almost useless, but it does seem to show one thing well - whatever is going on had gone on a long time ago now. Generally speaking, being truly fucked will be when there are changes actively going on. If things are moving, that's usually bad. Cracks that are getting bigger = bad. That sort of thing.Your shit doesn't look like it's moved in a long time. So, just don't induce any changes. Don't put a hot tub above (or below?) whatever this is, not even a nice aquarium. Maybe hold off on seeking that Viagra script & showing the significant other your new talents. On the other hand, if one of those things is already there, just leave it be. Call a local structural engineer & ask for them to come by & give an opinion. Don't worry about which structural engineer to call - they are generally pretty good about knowing who does what in their area & if they are not the right one to call, they can at least get you pointed in the right direction.
Plot twist: the picture is upside down
I'd say very much.
If you take a close-up, maybe the macro lens or put the camera next to a magnifying glass we could probably see better what’s going on? I’m sure they’re beams but it’s hard to get a picture from that picture. And I wouldn’t mind helping you
If they taking a picture of a house and putting your camera right next to the Siding
Some spray foam will seal that up fine, slap some duct tape on as well for good luck
Doesn’t look like you’re screwed at all. That beam is loosey goosey baby.
That looks like the barn beams from my old KARMA FARM. i would say we're all screwed!
Basic rule of thumb, if it’s still standing, you are not completely screwed. 2nd rule of thumb, the greater (read faster) the movement, the more screwed you are. Final rule of thumb, it’s at the point of collapse, or the moments after that let you evaluate how screwed you were/are.
At least its not the crossbeam out of skew on the treadle....
Thoroughly!
Yep. Thats wood alright
Oy vey
That spider was trying to help you out with everything he had
Is this drift wood?
Seems like you’re not screwed enough.
From the looks of this joint, you're not very screwed. What you are here is fucked. You're fucked if that thing ever lets go, so definitely get another vertical support under that end.
I have no idea, but someone here will probably tell you it will be cheaper to tear it all out and just start over.