Anyone familiar with building code?

[GasX]

I got a permit approved for changing the garage door from one side of the garage to another (90 degree shift). The plan called for sealing off the 2 7' doors one the one side and opening up a 16' doorway on the other side. The new headers were approved at double 2x6's and the contractor used 2x8's to be sure everything would be kosher.

The inspector flagged the project today saying that the headers are too small for the span. I called him and he said the permit should not have been approved as-is (he's the jackass that approved the drawings!) and that even if we used 4 2x12's the maximum span we could cross would be 14'6". In order to cross the 16' span, we would need to use laminate or steel and an engineer or architect would have to design it.

WTF? This guy is costing me money as my contractor is not going to remedy the situation for free...

:|

 

[EyeMWing]

Show him the permit with his signature on it? And then show HIS BOSS, don't shut up until they pay for it.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Show him the permit with his signature on it? And then show HIS BOSS, don't shut up until they pay for it.

It's not that I mind having to have two doors instead on one, but the delay and cost associated with this is just a GDPIA!

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Show him the permit with his signature on it? And then show HIS BOSS, don't shut up until they pay for it.

It's not that I mind having to have two doors instead on one, but the delay and cost associated with this is just a GDPIA!

As I said, escalate issue through the chain of command until someone pays for it just to shut you up. That's the only way you get things in this world, whining your head off.

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Show him the permit with his signature on it? And then show HIS BOSS, don't shut up until they pay for it.

It's not that I mind having to have two doors instead on one, but the delay and cost associated with this is just a GDPIA!

As I said, escalate issue through the chain of command until someone pays for it just to shut you up. That's the only way you get things in this world, whining your head off.

You are saying to loudly bitch about it until who pays? The city??? LOL.....I have a hard time believing the city would pay for anything.

What about an off the shelf steel I-beam type header? They are used all the time. 1/3 of my house is being held up by one. I would think you should be able to get the inspector to give you a the load rating needed.

 

[OutHouse]

well look up the local code for yourself and see what it says.

 

[Hyperblaze]

I was expecting a programming question

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Citrix
well look up the local code for yourself and see what it says.

The inspector was flipping through his book when I was talking to him and it didn't cover a gap that wide... :roll:

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Jero
I was expecting a programming question

*cough cough* read the topic summary...

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: Citrix
well look up the local code for yourself and see what it says.

The inspector was flipping through his book when I was talking to him and it didn't cover a gap that wide... :roll:

sorry to hear that.

 

[flamingelephant]

Alright Mwilding.... here is the scoop with your door...
First of all you should understand why your header is now underbuilt.

I used to work for Home Depot as a Supervisor (dont let that scare you, I know my sh!t and worked for 8 years before that at a smaller contractor yard).

My guess is that your original plan was had the garage door on a gable end. What that means is if you look at the side that has the door, you would be looking at the end peak of the roof. This is called the gable end.

/
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Something like this crappy picture.
The wall underneath that roof is a non-load bearing wall.. In a structure like a garage the trusses carry the weight of the roof to the eave walls (the sides that typically have the eavestrough on them).

When you make a hole in the wall, you have to put in a header to take the weight of the roof above it, or the roof will bend or fail. If you have more load, and a bigger space being taken out, then you need bigger headers to take the weight and distribute it to the rest of the wall. This is why garage doors are usually on the gable ends, the headers needed are smaller. When the garage door moves to an eave wall, the headers get bigger because they have to take the weight of the roof and loads on the roof (like rain/snow). The wider the garage, the bigger the headers get as well, because you have more load to carry.

So, what your inspector said about the 2x8's being too small is very much correct. For a 16' garage door I always spec'd triple 2x10's for a gable end. Couldn't tell you about the eave side spec because I would need to know the width of your garage to know how much roof load is there. I will assume that the inspector is right about needing the 4 2x10's. This is my old city's garage spec listing... its very easy to read and will show you what I am talking about http://www.winnipeg.ca/ppd/pdf_files/D_Garage.pdf
Keep in mind this is Winnipeg, so there are significant snow loads... There is no matching spec for 4 2x10's, but the closest is 4 2x12's, which is really a ginormous header... your garage might not be tall enough to accomidate it and have the whole door height to use. Engineered lumber would make the header narrower and less tall, but not by that much... standard SCL (structural composite lumber) would need 2 1-3/4 x 1117/8 pieces to equate the 2x12's... i have no idea about the steel.

Anyhow, it will have to be fixed. Its not the contractors fault for building the structure to plan, but he probably should of known better, unless he is an idiot. The inspector shouldn't of approved the change, because its structurally unsound, but the city will never pay for it. You will have to foot the bill. Sorry.
PM me if any questions

 

[OffTopic1]

2 2x8 should be more than enough for a 16 foot span (most call for a 2x10 @ 16 feet for building joist) if it is not taking any weight, however it may bow with time if there is snow/weight. I don?t know what the requirement for header beam for your area and also is it supporting weight or floors (also is it consider out side or not) but you would expect the requirement to be 2X to 2.5X more than what you need for joist construction.

[Edit] The code call for 2 2x12 laminate when I redone my basement, and I uses 3 2x12 laminate (total $300 CAD) to make my floor stiffer.

 

[dartworth]

we have double 2x10s and a .375" or .5" plate for the header in our garage...just remember...the last thing you want to do is piss off the inspector. That will cost you big $$$ in the end.

 

[MisterMe]

As I said, escalate issue through the chain of command until someone pays for it just to shut you up. That's the only way you get things in this world, whining your head off.

Well, that really only turns you into a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner. If you believe that's the way it works then just try it without whining for 30 days...what a difference! We'll all be happier without your whining and you might be too!