Posting the thread here too, in case I've posted in the wrong forum:
During my bathroom renovation, I discovered when tearing up the floor that two of the floor joists were notched and that the drain pipe was routed straight through. The house was built in 1920 and the joist dimensions are 250 x 150. I don't know the span because they disappear under the door, but at least over three meters. The bathroom is on the second floor, and they are the two middle ones of a total of four joists in the room that are hollowed out. The hollowing is about 50 cm from the outer wall. Only about 5-6 cm remains underneath the joists. It's cc60 between the joists.
I understand that this needs to be reinforced in some way, as it's going to be leveled and tiled, and a bathtub will be placed on top. But how? The problem is that a 110 pipe has to go through the joists. So, I can't access to insert a new joist alongside the damaged ones unless it's also notched out because the pipe runs almost all the way along the wall. As far as I understand, blocking doesn't help with this type of problem.
My idea is some form of metal plates that are nailed/screwed along the sides of the joists, with space for the pipe to pass through. These would then be about a meter long. The problem I see is that they cannot be wider than 50mm where the pipe goes through. Could this hold? And where can one get something like that?
If you know how to solve something like this, suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Some pictures:
During my bathroom renovation, I discovered when tearing up the floor that two of the floor joists were notched and that the drain pipe was routed straight through. The house was built in 1920 and the joist dimensions are 250 x 150. I don't know the span because they disappear under the door, but at least over three meters. The bathroom is on the second floor, and they are the two middle ones of a total of four joists in the room that are hollowed out. The hollowing is about 50 cm from the outer wall. Only about 5-6 cm remains underneath the joists. It's cc60 between the joists.
I understand that this needs to be reinforced in some way, as it's going to be leveled and tiled, and a bathtub will be placed on top. But how? The problem is that a 110 pipe has to go through the joists. So, I can't access to insert a new joist alongside the damaged ones unless it's also notched out because the pipe runs almost all the way along the wall. As far as I understand, blocking doesn't help with this type of problem.
My idea is some form of metal plates that are nailed/screwed along the sides of the joists, with space for the pipe to pass through. These would then be about a meter long. The problem I see is that they cannot be wider than 50mm where the pipe goes through. Could this hold? And where can one get something like that?
If you know how to solve something like this, suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Some pictures:
You should reinforce with a steel profile above and below the beams on both sides, i.e., both over and under the pipes and to the right and left of the beams. They should extend well beyond the "notching," probably requiring you to go into the adjacent room to be able to anchor the profiles sufficiently.
Ugh... Now I'm sadanaitis said:
I was thinking of attaching one end of a one-meter steel profile to the outer wall, on both sides of each beam. I won't be able to attach the other end without tearing up the entire parquet in the hall outside. But isn't it enough to attach the profile to the wooden beam with bolts? It will be difficult to reinforce from above since there's maybe 1-2 cm max above the pipe...But you mean that's not enough? :S
What does it look like under the bathroom on the lower floor? E.g. walls.
The walls continue down. Thick log walls. Kitchen below.janwide said:
When I realized it was too complicated to sort out myself, I brought in a constructor yesterday who took a look at it. He would do the calculations and get back to me today. If he doesn't come up with a solution that doesn't involve tearing up parquet, etc., I will probably run the pipe under the beams instead by building a small culvert in the kitchen ceiling and go up into the bathroom, on the other side of the beams. After that, I will reinforce the cut beams in some way without having to think about the pipe entry.
Exciting. Please get back with the outcome!
If you have walls underneath that the beams rest on, it doesn't have to be so complicated.
If you have walls underneath that the beams rest on, it doesn't have to be so complicated.
There will be a conduit under the kitchen ceiling. The engineers calculated and concluded that it might be possible to arrange some special solution in some way, but that it would require more calculations to be sure, and that it's difficult to predict how well it will turn out. He advised me to go with the kitchen solution if I was willing to make the intervention. So I will branch off from the main pipe in the kitchen, run along the kitchen ceiling, and up into the bathroom on the other side of the beams. Then I will enclose the pipe. I'll return with pictures after the weekend.
It will probably be fine
If you just think a bit further about the solution with the steel profile.
Couldn't two U-beams with a width equal to the joist work? Like 1m on each side of the notch.
Then the U would lie on top and below the joist, bolted with carriage bolts straight through?
Couldn't two U-beams with a width equal to the joist work? Like 1m on each side of the notch.
Then the U would lie on top and below the joist, bolted with carriage bolts straight through?
Lifting this thread because I have a similar issue. Wooden beams under the future bathroom floor, an old moisture damage that has locally eaten up 2 cm on the top side of the beams, over a stretch of 40 cm, near the wall. Everything feels dry now. I know that the bathroom has been redone after the moisture damage. Span 3.7 m. No pipe penetration. Beams are 2"x8", cc 50. On top was a tongue-and-groove wooden floor, floating + tiles, without any issues. Now it will be chipboard 22, floating, tiles. Of course, I will carve out the soft biscuit like a dentist. What should I do then? a) Nothing. b) Replace the beam. A major intervention that feels like overkill. c) Reinforce. But with what? Nail plates? Companion beam, 2"x8", 2 m length? Plywood strip screwed and glued on the sides?
Two neighbors.