Thread: brace of beam

I was in inspecting a home today from 1920 and found brace on a beam as well on the exterior of the home on the railings as bracing.

Since i have less experience then most of the folks here i thought i would ask has anybody seen this before? is it home made and thought?

ALSO why do i find what appear to be can lids nailed to the floors in older homes?

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Built by hand in 1920. The whole house is homemade.
Someone felt that strap was needed, maybe after jacking up and slamming shims in there to level the floor? Anyway, it is not going anywhere that I can see for one pic. I would look for rot or termites but not be concerned with that.

I would be more concerned with clearance to combustibles on the water heater vent pipe and < is that the boiler vent pipe almost touching the post.
that is a shelfbracket not a brace

The old lids are most likely closing up or covering a hole from an old flue pipe, water line, rat/mouse hole, etc.....

oh! the can covers are used to cover the holes from abandoned steam radiators . There may be a dutchman, ( a small block of wood) filling the hole on the other side. the can cover holds it in place. Typically another block of wood is used inad o a can cover, but hillbilly is as hillbilly does.