racked exterior wall 2 story, bottom is racked

andrewshstn

how do i replum the back exterior wall thats turning into a parallagram ? the foundation is level, and from the bottom plate to the top plate it is out of plum 3 1/2 inches on 9 foot. the top floor is level, no leaning. this was caused by rotting on the exterior wall and lost vertical support. how do i bring the wall back to plum?

Daniel Holzman

Step one is to be absolutely certain you know exactly why the wall is out of plumb. Out of plumb conditions can be caused by foundation failure, rot of structural elements, or improper framing technique (lack of wall restraint). Once you have determined the cause of the problem, you repair by correcting all of the issues.

If you are correct, and this is a matter of rot, you replace all the rotten elements. This can require removal of siding, and may require temporary support of the walls and/or framing elements. I don't know if you are looking for a step by step guide, but that would be essentially impossible over the internet. Also, if you are planning to do this work yourself, make sure you apply appropriate safety measures, as replacement of structural elements in a standing building can be hazardous or FATAL if temporary support is not adequate. You should also check in with the local building inspector, as major structural repairs such as you describe may require a permit.

andrewshstn

andrewshstn

andrewshstn

this is new construction, my mistake was i removed the supports from the top plate to the floor when i replaced the plywood on the floor, and saw the back wall was rotting and so i supported the 2nd story by installing 4x4's then i noticed the back walls were leaning 3 1/2" out of plum, i immediatly put back in the supports on the east wall to deter more leaning. its pushing the whole top floor to the west.

rjniles

If the problem is as bad as this picture seems to show, this repair is not DIY. You need an experienced framing contractor and a structural engineer.

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Location:
Coastal South Carolina

Daniel Holzman

This entire thread is somewhat baffling. This is new construction, but you had a massive rot problem that required you to remove plywood plus top plate? Do you mean that your "new construction" was the removal of rotten wood, and your work caused the problem?

This is the internet unfortunately, and without a very careful, thorough, accurate statement of exactly what you did, what the initial condition was, and what the final condition is, getting useful advice is going to be impossible.

That said, this looks like a pretty nice house, and spending some money to get an experienced contractor, and maybe an engineer, to look at the problem and present a solution would seem like a no brainer. You don't really want to try to fix such a scary looking problem as a DIY project.

Gary in WA

I see the Lowe's housewrap showing the studs on the main wall due to pressure differences.

Where is your wall corner shear plywood/OSB?

That is why it is racking. I don't see any ply on the second story turret walls, what is holding this building together, the floor/roof plywood?

What is your location?

Gary

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Joe Carola

Do you have .plans and permits?

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Joe Carola

andrewshstn

i just got tired of people of quoting me 6k to move the wall (lean) so its getting done with a 4x6x16 and 20 ton jack ,little bit at a time every 2 days for the house to settle pushing diagnoly opposite the lean, it shouldnt take that much its 3 1/2 inches our of plum, had 1 guy tell me support it and rebuild it pluming from the top to bottom which it will still be twisted.

andrewshstn

yep your right thats what caused the problem. no ply on the exterior wall of the 1st floor live and learn the hard way thanks for the help!

joecaption

Please tell me no ones trying to live in this house while your doing all this.
Very real chance of it all coming down.

Joe Carola

Do you have plans and permits....or are you just another one doing illegal dangerous work?

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Joe Carola

DexterII

Looks like a rather unique foundation to me.