Terry Beck
04-13-2009, 07:56 PM
Maybe I've been spending too much time in rural areas where anything goes. Or maybe its just been so slow compared to most years that my brain cells have rusted from lack of use.
Are pier (or post) & beam foundations allowed by most municipal jurisdictions?
The house in question is actually a typical split level basement/crawl, but the prior owner added two rooms to the rear, all built on post & beam, not a contunual footer. Looks structurally sound, assuming the concrete piers go to frost level. Nothing special or odd about the soil conditions here, no flood zone, etc. Beams are tied down to concrete piers, floor joists above that. I have concerns about protecting the sub floor structure and insulation from pests, moisture, ect (the underside has a plastic vapor barrier). No plumbing.
But having trouble finding code that applies to what I call post and beam. IRC 2006 R403.1 says,
"General. All exterior walls shall be supported on continuous
solid or fully grouted masonry or concrete footings,
wood foundations, or other approved structural systems which
shall be of sufficient design to accommodate all loads according
to Section R301 and to transmit the resulting loads to the
soil within the limitations as determined from the character of
the soil."
"continous footings" seems to rule out pier and beam, unless that is covered under the catch phrase "or other approved structural system". Maybe its just a problem of terminology. I will call the city building dept in the morning, but they tend to extremely slow in responding.
Any help or guidelines are appreciated.
Are pier (or post) & beam foundations allowed by most municipal jurisdictions?
The house in question is actually a typical split level basement/crawl, but the prior owner added two rooms to the rear, all built on post & beam, not a contunual footer. Looks structurally sound, assuming the concrete piers go to frost level. Nothing special or odd about the soil conditions here, no flood zone, etc. Beams are tied down to concrete piers, floor joists above that. I have concerns about protecting the sub floor structure and insulation from pests, moisture, ect (the underside has a plastic vapor barrier). No plumbing.
But having trouble finding code that applies to what I call post and beam. IRC 2006 R403.1 says,
"General. All exterior walls shall be supported on continuous
solid or fully grouted masonry or concrete footings,
wood foundations, or other approved structural systems which
shall be of sufficient design to accommodate all loads according
to Section R301 and to transmit the resulting loads to the
soil within the limitations as determined from the character of
the soil."
"continous footings" seems to rule out pier and beam, unless that is covered under the catch phrase "or other approved structural system". Maybe its just a problem of terminology. I will call the city building dept in the morning, but they tend to extremely slow in responding.
Any help or guidelines are appreciated.