A question and some beauty

[William J. Decker]

First, inspection of an older brick condo conversion. The wooden back porch is, mostly, in a brick alcove but some exterior posts are held up merely by a beam that stick out of the brick wall (Picture 1). Doesn't seem like there is any room for a decent cantalever.

Then, the last pictures. During a Draw inspection, this morning. Teardown in Northern Chicago and putting up a new house. The thing is, the structure is the new house is post and beam! Great workmanship.

One question on it. In the last picture, they are installing, instead of floor joists, 2 x 4 frames between the beams for the floor on the 2nd level, secured only with drywall screws. Any SEs out there want to comments?

[Erby Crofutt]

What's the span between beams?
What's the span on a 2x4??
What's the lateral strength of a sheetrock screws???

Ever wonder why attic stair manufacturer's REQUIRE them to be fastened to the frame with 16D nails instead of sheetrock screws. (Hint: Lateral strength)

Looks sucky to me.

[William J. Decker]

Beams are spaced about 36". 16" between 2 x 4s in the frame. Maybe the subflooring would help (the were going to use 3/4" plywood.

Code problem, not mine (it was only a draw inspection).

Sure was pretty, though. All the carpenters were Polish and only one spoke English (broken).

[rrichards2]

Is there going to be another floor on top of that? It may only be framing for the ceiling. Even if the latter is true, I still don't like the drywall screws being used to support the 2 x 4's. Drywall screws are very brittle and snap easliy under shear pressure. They should only be used for attaching drywall, nothing else.

[William J. Decker]

Yes, there is going to be a 2nd floor.

[wforsyth]

I think it's framing for the ceiling. I think they are relying on whatever they are using for the ceiling ( couldn't be drywall, too heavy) to brace the framing that is there.

European construction is far different than ours. Some of the villas I've seen use a filler of sorts for the framing and then plaster over the top of that. So maybe that is why they don't need anything stronger than the drywall screws.

I dunno.

[Paul Pendley]

The way im looking at it, its seems as though the 2x4's framing for the upper floor are in between the beams which is not a structural issue based on the size of the beams supporting the upper floor and the distance from one another, unless of course they are attached with drywall screws. They have also placed shims in places that are not completely square and/or to eliminate floor sqeak.

I can hear it now, Im gonna get killed on this one.

[William J. Decker]

Wendy;

It has been stated that there will be a second floor.