I am looking for some advice as to whether I can make my attic floor meet code. My house is a three story cape in CT where the the 2×8 attic floor joists are attached directly to the 2×8 roof rafters about 4′ up from the where the rafter sit on the exterior wall. The attic joists sit on two second floor interior walls on either side of a central hall. The first floor has a more or less centered interior wall that sits on a beam in the basement supporte by lally columns. I’ve attached a picture showing a cross section of the house.
The attic is currently finished (drywall, carpet, elec & insulation but no heat) but was done by a previous owner without a permit. We would like to make this into a bedroom. In a quick chat with the building inspector, he said that despite the current state, if we want to pull a permit to do work (new egress windows, upgraded insulation, new skylights and heat) it will need to meet code
I see two main issues.
1) The attic joists are attached with nails to the rafters. R502.6 says they need to have 1.5 inches bearing on wood. Is there any way to get around this without adding a wood underneath and therefore having to redo the ceilings in three bedrooms and two bathrooms? Are there any Simpson like brackets that could be used? Could I use through bolts at every connection?
2) In order to span the second floor, the interior wall need to be considered load bearing. But the bottom of these “load bearing” walls are not directly supported on the first floor. They are offset by approximately 4 feet from the first floor wall which does sit on a beam in the basement. I think 502.4 says the offset can’t be more than the joist depth. Is that the case here?
In short, is there any way of making the attic meet code?
Replies
Maybe
It's really too complicated to solve here. My take is that you should hire an engineer. An engineer's stamp can take you places the IRC doesn't go. The IRC only addresses the simplest cases, and an engineer's analysis and/or design might determine that your existing set-up is fine, or that there's a relatively simple fix. Or not.
Actually, IRC addresses prescriptive building code. That does not necesscarily translate as simple.
Every jurisdiction interprets and enforces diferently. In your renovation, if you are not altering the floor joist or any aspect of the floor system, then you should be allowed to let the floor be. Anything you alter is required to meet minimum standars.
that said, i agree that if you have any concerns about the integrity of the floor system, your best investment will be an engineer. it may be as simple as a few adjustments...or could be a complete tear out.
Looks to me like that thing is a structural mess. No direct load path from the attic floor joists to bearing. It needs some serious work before it would be habitable space.
Don't forget egress issues while you're at it...