The home had originally been smaller, and the initial owner had put on an addition. Now this “two-story” was actually four stories, including a getaway loft off the upstairs master bedroom—the previous owner’s study, once filled with large furniture and heavy books. The master bedroom ceiling was cathedraled, and the master bathroom was a cantilever suspended into open space with no support. At its far end sat a heavy Jacuzzi tub.
When the contractor cut 2×2 examination holes in the upper floor and walls, we saw what we suspected: Instead of designing the load-bearing interior walls and floor structure to handle the heavy books and tub, there were just the typical ceiling joists and rafters. Without any added support, the cathedral ceilings and cantilevered bathroom were acting like a huge lever arm, and gravity was crushing those basement floor joists.
The absence of structural drawings, foundation design, and callouts in the original plans told us that no engineer had been involved in this addition. Plus, the architect’s lack of detail had left everything for the carpenter to figure out—and he kept guessing wrong. So he split the spans, and the heavy rafter load was putting tremendous stress onto the existing exterior wall.
The plan also showed no foundation for the addition: just masonry block directly on the ground, topped by beams and 5×5 galvanized columns at point loads mid-span of that, and then the second-floor framing. And sure enough, on physical examination, that’s exactly what we found. The consequences were inevitable.
Who in their right mind would operate like this? Frankly, we see it every day: Architects who neglect to bring in a needed engineer. Vague drawings based on “typical” cookie-cutter plans, which lack detail and create confusion. Contractors who slap rooms together blindly, without regard for sound construction practices. Moral: Hire a good architect in the first place. They’re worth it.
