04-29-2015, 10:22 AM
Almost as bad, years later someone will ask "How did you put that together?" and I won't be able to remember, with the result that I'll have to take a much closer look. That happened when Glen was building his doodlebug and asked me questions about the construction of mine. 
When I built my house, I pretty-well knew how I was going to do it, but to get a building permit, I needed blueprints. I knew how to draw them, but not the nuances of what was required, so I hired a guy to create them from my simpler drawings. Even before construction started, I found faults with them which would have been serious structural issues. I amended the drawings before submitting them for approval.
As I built, another issue surfaced, one which the building inspector had missed when he approved the plans, and it was also a structural problem. Basically, the drawings called for a pair of 2"x10"s to support a portion of the second floor, plus the exterior wall of that and the roof above it....all over a span of 24'!
Getting 24' lumber of that size is possible (for a price), but even five of them won't carry that load over than span. Immediately upon noticing this discrepancy, I envisioned a truss.
I called my lumber yard (not a big-box outfit) and asked to speak to somebody in the truss department (this company builds trusses for most of the contractors in this part of southern Ontario). When I told them of the problem, the engineer told me that he'd come down to take a look, and he was here within an hour.
"Yeah, A truss will take care of that....", he said, ".....probably about 4' high. Who the hell did these drawings?"
"I'd guess that it'll probably need to be the full wall height (8'), but make it whatever's necessary." I replied. He called me the next day and said, "You were right, it has to be a full 8' high - I'll send some installation instructions with the delivery truck.
Well, when it arrive, it was indeed 8'x24', but was in three such sections, all constructed of 2"x6" lumber, and the instructions specified not only that each one had a specific top and bottom, but that they were to be installed separately, then laminated together using double rows of 6" spikes from both sides, clenched over on the obverse and spaced at one foot intervals. I don't recall how I managed to get them up there by myself or how I overcame my fear of heights (I don't even like standing on a chair to change a light bulb) to nail them together while standing on a ladder, but I do know that my hammering arm was pretty sore by the end of the day. 
Next time, I'll do my own blueprints. 
Wayne
When I built my house, I pretty-well knew how I was going to do it, but to get a building permit, I needed blueprints. I knew how to draw them, but not the nuances of what was required, so I hired a guy to create them from my simpler drawings. Even before construction started, I found faults with them which would have been serious structural issues. I amended the drawings before submitting them for approval.
As I built, another issue surfaced, one which the building inspector had missed when he approved the plans, and it was also a structural problem. Basically, the drawings called for a pair of 2"x10"s to support a portion of the second floor, plus the exterior wall of that and the roof above it....all over a span of 24'!
Getting 24' lumber of that size is possible (for a price), but even five of them won't carry that load over than span. Immediately upon noticing this discrepancy, I envisioned a truss.I called my lumber yard (not a big-box outfit) and asked to speak to somebody in the truss department (this company builds trusses for most of the contractors in this part of southern Ontario). When I told them of the problem, the engineer told me that he'd come down to take a look, and he was here within an hour.
"Yeah, A truss will take care of that....", he said, ".....probably about 4' high. Who the hell did these drawings?"
"I'd guess that it'll probably need to be the full wall height (8'), but make it whatever's necessary." I replied. He called me the next day and said, "You were right, it has to be a full 8' high - I'll send some installation instructions with the delivery truck.
Well, when it arrive, it was indeed 8'x24', but was in three such sections, all constructed of 2"x6" lumber, and the instructions specified not only that each one had a specific top and bottom, but that they were to be installed separately, then laminated together using double rows of 6" spikes from both sides, clenched over on the obverse and spaced at one foot intervals.
I don't recall how I managed to get them up there by myself or how I overcame my fear of heights (I don't even like standing on a chair to change a light bulb) to nail them together while standing on a ladder, but I do know that my hammering arm was pretty sore by the end of the day. Next time, I'll do my own blueprints. Wayne