Carport Dividing Wall - InspectionNews

Jeff Eastman · #1 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 06:38 PM

......

Robert Schenck · #2 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 07:20 PM

Jeff, ..... Just a quick 2 - cents here. Obvious damage - obvious repairs needed. I'm no expert on wood, but I've always assumed Pressure Treated Wood had a slight green color to it. So assuming that, I would say it's not pressure treated wood (I could be wrong). As far as being rot resistant, ... I highly doubt it, .... since it appears to be "rotting". But then, if given enough time and water, even resistant wood will rot out.

Exactly where is this structure (wall). I find it extremely odd that a sole plate to be sitting on concrete slab, almost at ground level, without any form of protection. To me, there should be some form of a concrete footing a few inches off the slab to help protect this wall (sole plate), along with proper flashing, sealing, etc. Looks like shotty construction to me.

wayne soper · #3 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 07:46 PM

Installation could have been allowed at time of construction. What's the year?
Doesn't matter. Plate decayed. Unseen structural damage may be present. Recommend further evaluation and repairs by licensed contractor. Keep it simple!!!

Jerry Peck · #4 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 08:31 PM

I suspect the wall was 'added after the fact', probably to separate the two carports due to some type of complaint from one tenant about the other tenant 'taking up my carport space with their junk'.

Look at the back wall of the carport in the second photo.

Now look at the dividing wall.

The back wall is raised up on the higher slab, the dividing wall is on the original flat carport floor.

That's a strange setup, could that have been a single family house with a two car carport and it was converted into a duplex? If so, many fire stopping/fire blocking issues come to mind.

It just does not look like a 'duplex with two one car carports' to me.

Robert Schenck · #5 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 06:37 AM

I suspect the house has been turned into a duplex, since I can see the letters "A" and "B" above the carports. And as Jerry mentioned, the wall was added at a later time. The "A" could be for Alice and "B" for Bob, ... I dunno.

Prior to the wall being added (and is it load-bearing), my gut tells me the span between the two 4x4's seems awfully longggg. There had to have been, or is, a very large header (beam) to span that distance. While I was there, I would have measured the distance between the 4x4's and when I got home, looked up the legal span distance. If ok, nothing in the report, but if not ok - mentioned in the report. One of these days I'll have the Span Table memorized, but until then ......