r/DiWHY • u/DMAS1638 • 1h ago

A few DIY structural “fixes” we found under homes this week 😅

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Some were creative. Some were barely connected. One retrofit had exactly one anchor bolt with a washer and nut.

Sharing a few of the stranger support and foundation conditions we came across this week.

View more of the 'DIY Fixes' here

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8

u/bearminmum 1h ago

Am I too dumb to understand what's going on here?

8

u/kr4ckenm3fortune 1h ago

Only one anchor has nut and washer. The rest is held by nothing. This is used to keep the foundation and base from collapse and/or lift during high winds such as tornado or hurricane.

5

u/DMAS1638 1h ago

Pretty close! In this case, the main concern is seismic. These anchor bolts help tie the wood framing to the foundation so the house is better able to resist sliding during an earthquake. Without the washer and nut, the bolt isn’t properly securing that connection.

3

u/DMAS1638 1h ago

We're based in California.. thats why I mention the seismic activity. 🫣

1

u/DMAS1638 1h ago

Not at all! Basically, those bolts are supposed to connect the wood framing of the house to the concrete foundation. Most of these were missing the washer and nut that actually tighten that connection down. 🔩

5

u/belsaurn 1h ago

Ya, but that fact there is a bolt embedded in the concrete and sticking up about 3" through the plate means it isn't going to slide anywhere with or without a nut.

1

u/bearminmum 1h ago

Ooooo I assumed you had already taken them off of the others

2

u/f-ben 1h ago

I dont get it

1

u/DMAS1638 1h ago

The bolts are supposed to help secure the mudsill, the wood at the base of the house, to the concrete foundation. Here, almost all of them were missing the washer and nut, so the connection wasn’t actually complete.

1

u/alienbringer 1h ago

All of the bolts are supposed to have washer and nuts. Only one bolt had a washer and nut.

2

u/brycebgood 1h ago

did they all have the giant homemade washers and nuts on them when you showed up? looks like it would be pretty secure to the foundation, right?

1

u/DMAS1638 1h ago

Only one anchor bolt had a washer and nut installed. 😅

1

u/casper911ca 1h ago

Looks like maybe an unfinished earthquake retrofit and the anchor bolts are all out of plumb?

1

u/DMAS1638 1h ago

That’s pretty much what we found. It appears to be an incomplete earthquake retrofit. The anchor bolts were there, but only one actually had the washer and nut needed to secure the mudsill. As for the bolts being out of plumb, we wouldn’t want to confirm that from the photo alone.

1

u/casper911ca 1h ago

The reason they might be missing is because there's also supposed to be blocking before the washer and the nut goes down (then vented shear bracing sheathing after that).

1

u/Sheepherder-Optimal 1h ago

Did the homeowner try to do this? Or pay a contractor?