Shear Wall Straps In Foundation
The black arrow is pointing to some large straps,
coming out of the concrete footings and the straps will be used to
create additional strength for the shear walls, that will be installed
during the house framing.
As a framing contractor, the strap on the right side of the picture,
looks like it needs to be moved over, closer to the edge of the
building.
But don't quote me on this, it could be in the right spot, I don't have
the building blueprints to make a judgment and this is just my
assumption. We all know the problems that an assumption will create.
Problems like this when building a home are not easy to fix and normally
would require the structural engineer and the building departments okay,
if these straps were in the wrong spot.
As a home inspector, you would need the blueprints in order to make sure
that the straps were installed correctly and in the proper location.
The years I have spent as a framing contractor, gives me the experience,
to look at almost any building and see if there is a problem with the
shear walls or building hardware.
This of course takes years to develop, the home inspection eye that will
require only a quick glance most of the time to find problems like this.
Shear Wall Straps In Forms