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Small remodel job in Havasu

zx14

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Who to call?
I don’t even know if this can be done. I want this small 18” wall removed, and drywall repaired in the garage. It sits on a 10” footer, that I want out too, I assume it could be ground down to match garage floor, or chipped lower, and re-poured to match garage floor? This little wall, lines up with the master bedroom. I think the builders plans had a option of a larger master bedroom, or a pull through garage. I can’t see how it provides any structural support. The ass end of my boat fits Back in here, but only about 6” on each side, so with the boat in the garage, I have to walk around either through the house, or outside gate, to access the stern of the boat or back part of the pull through garage.
 
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sirbob

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Those wing walls are often a short cut to a more expensive structural support.

I'm sure getting it out won't be a big deal but it might not pass city inspection depending on what was required when built.

Might be worth a trip to the city building permit desk to pull your plans from when the house was built.
 

zx14

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Those wing walls are often a short cut to a more expensive structural support.

I'm sure getting it out won't be a big deal but it might not pass city inspection depending on what was required when built.

Might be worth a trip to the city building permit desk to pull your plans from when the house was built.
Maybe a 45 degree kicker could be put at the top?
 

DRYHEAT

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Do not go to the city you’ll open a can of worms you wish you hadn’t. It looks like a typical sheer wall, a lot of builders are too cheap to pay for proper engineering. I’m not an engineer but most likely it could be taken out with no problem. You need to have someone with a little bit of smarts make sure it’s not a loadbearing support, you don’t want the damn house falling down.
 

zx14

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Do not go to the city you’ll open a can of worms you wish you hadn’t. It looks like a typical sheer wall, a lot of builders are too cheap to pay for proper engineering. I’m not an engineer but most likely it could be taken out with no problem. You need to have someone with a little bit of smarts make sure it’s not a loadbearing support, you don’t want the damn house falling down.
That was my thought, no permit, it’s not like the house gets a city inspection when it sells. , what is a typical “sheer” wall? Could I tell by looking at how the trusses tie in over the wall to determine if it’s load bearing? The wall it connects to is the long wall of the pull through garage, about 60’ long.
 

sirbob

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Maybe a 45 degree kicker could be put at the top?

Don’t know about the 45 degree kicker but I know there are options that would work to open it up.

I’ve done work without being totally official with the city but it didn’t stop me from waking in to the counter and pulling old plans or asking about engendering / or other requirements.

I’m not an engineer so I don’t have any expertise other than having done a few building projects over the years.

I seem to recall @2FORCEFULL talking about these walls in the past with some of his projects. Possibly he will be better at providing options?
 

DB / HAV

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Can’t you just back the boat in really fast! Done!
 

Bobby V

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I had the same issue with my boat and wing wall. This is how I cut it out. Hardy tell it was ever there.

Havasu 011.JPG
 

DRYHEAT

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That was my thought, no permit, it’s not like the house gets a city inspection when it sells. , what is a typical “sheer” wall? Could I tell by looking at how the trusses tie in over the wall to determine if it’s load bearing? The wall it connects to is the long wall of the pull through garage, about 60’ long.
I am not a builder/contractor and I know not what I’m talking about, but I believe the sheer wall is mainly for wind loads on a long flat span.

After looking at the pictures again I think your garage is a typical 8 foot garage and they don’t typically have sheer walls but I’m not positive in the picture I know my garage is 50 feet deep and an 8 foot ceiling and there are no sheer walls, so it may be loadbearing. Hopefully somebody that has more knowledge than me will chime in.

If you can find someone that’s not too busy to do it it might be worth having someone take a look, my only concern would be the loadbearing aspect if you can look up into the attic and see if there is a beam or something but honestly it doesn’t look like it to me it may depend which way the trusses run.
 

zx14

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I am not a builder/contractor and I know not what I’m talking about, but I believe the sheer wall is mainly for wind loads on a long flat span.

After looking at the pictures again I think your garage is a typical 8 foot garage and they don’t typically have sheer walls but I’m not positive in the picture I know my garage is 50 feet deep and an 8 foot ceiling and there are no sheer walls, so it may be loadbearing. Hopefully somebody that has more knowledge than me will chime in.

If you can find someone that’s not too busy to do it it might be worth having someone take a look, my only concern would be the loadbearing aspect if you can look up into the attic and see if there is a beam or something but honestly it doesn’t look like it to me it may depend which way the trusses run.
Someone else told me the same thing about wind load. Wind could never really do much on that side due to there is another house over there to break the wind
 

Ziggy

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Helps to keep wall from ballooning.
 

NicPaus

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Friend has same wing wall. I think its been discussed here before if you do a search. Replace with a knee brace but not with permits was what s few did.
 

JUSTWANNARACE

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That is most likely a "brace panel" not really a sheer wall. They probably used a perscriptive path plan when they built the house not a true engineered set. The trusses probably run parallel with the outside wall so the "brace panel" is to keep the top of wall and bottom of truss from bowing out. If this is the case it's not a hard fix. Run a 2x4 tword the top of the truss going back about 4 trusses(depending on truss height) nail it in to all trusses, then run a 2x4 from the top plate of the wall, back to the 2x you nailed at the top of the truss. Do this at approx a 45* angle with good connections each end. The nail a flat 2x4 on top of the angle brace. That will take care of what the brace panel is doing. You should then be able to remove the brace panel and concrete.
 

zx14

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That is most likely a "brace panel" not really a sheer wall. They probably used a perscriptive path plan when they built the house not a true engineered set. The trusses probably run parallel with the outside wall so the "brace panel" is to keep the top of wall and bottom of truss from bowing out. If this is the case it's not a hard fix. Run a 2x4 tword the top of the truss going back about 4 trusses(depending on truss height) nail it in to all trusses, then run a 2x4 from the top plate of the wall, back to the 2x you nailed at the top of the truss. Do this at approx a 45* angle with good connections each end. The nail a flat 2x4 on top of the angle brace. That will take care of what the brace panel is doing. You should then be able to remove the brace panel and concrete.
You are talking reworking the truss in the attic? Over that not sheer wall?
 

NicPaus

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You are talking reworking the truss in the attic? Over that not sheer wall?
He is referring to additional 2x4 to add bracing not reworking the truss. The 45 degree 2x4 he mentions we refer to as knee brace.
 

zx14

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Here are some more pics, my camera is aimed in the same direction of the wall in the attic.
 

zx14

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That is most likely a "brace panel" not really a sheer wall. They probably used a perscriptive path plan when they built the house not a true engineered set. The trusses probably run parallel with the outside wall so the "brace panel" is to keep the top of wall and bottom of truss from bowing out. If this is the case it's not a hard fix. Run a 2x4 tword the top of the truss going back about 4 trusses(depending on truss height) nail it in to all trusses, then run a 2x4 from the top plate of the wall, back to the 2x you nailed at the top of the truss. Do this at approx a 45* angle with good connections each end. The nail a flat 2x4 on top of the angle brace. That will take care of what the brace panel is doing. You should then be able to remove the brace panel and concrete.
I can’t comprehend the concept here. Run a 2x4 toward the top of the truss? Do you mean at the roof line? Or I picture this nailed to the bottom of 4 trusses, then a kicker back to the garage wall at, 45*. Maybe even lag in a 4x4 the entire length of the garage wall, in essence making that brace panel wall be 4” with a kicker at the top.
 

mjc

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I had the same wall on a 40 ft wall and cut it out as soon as the inspection was completed., no problems yet after 16 years.
 

zx14

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Finally did it, got back from the lake, got out the sawsall the 20lbs sledgehammer and went to town, put a 45 degree kicker in and called it good. A bit of drywall, nobody will miss it, now I can walk to the back yard through the garage, with the boat in here. Only took my 2 years to get around to doing it.
 

HB2Havasu

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Just curious. If the wall failed from a non-permitted modification, would your homeowners insurance cover the damages to your boat and property?
 
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