Certified Remodeler

Module 5: Evaluation of Existing Construction

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Module 5: Evaluation of Existing Construction

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Module 5: Evaluation of Existing Construction

The objective of this section is to test the contractor's ability to identify

hidden problems in existing buildings. An extremely important part of a
contractor's job is the initial evaluation of a structure. Recognizing
conditions that may make a job more expensive, cause delays, or require
remedial action is a skill that is more important in remodeling than in new
construction. A remodeling contractor must be able to "troubleshoot". The
remodeling contractor must be able to anticipate problems that result from
the relationship of all building parts, both structural and mechanical, to each
other.
Much of what a professional remodeling contractor learns is through
experience. Knowing when to anticipate hidden problems is part intuition
and part experience. The contractor should be familiar with the terminology
for load-bearing parts of the building and how alteration of load-bearing
members will affect the structure. Review Willis Wagner's Modern
Carpentry, pp. 101-178 and 429-462 for this information.
The contractor should also be familiar with the evolution of building
systems from post-and-beam and balloon framing to western platform
framing. The differences between joist-and-rafter and truss construction
should be understood. Problems developing from house settlement,
modification of structural members, and deterioration of materials will be
covered in this section of the study guide as well. The sources and pages
listed above should be helpful to the contractor. Reviewing sections from
other parts of the study guide should also be useful in preparing for this
section of the exam. In addition, the brief review section below will be
useful because none of the other reference materials provides an in-depth
discussion of the causes and symptoms of structural deterioration.

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Glossary

Buckling – under extreme loading conditions, built-up wood members

(such as beams formed by nailing together smaller dimension lumber) will
pull apart. Vertical members that are being compressed by overloading
may buckle.
Checks – minor cracks, usually appearing at the ends of cut pieces of
wood. They occur as wood dries. They do not indicate a serious structural
problem.
Compression – when a building member is placed in a vertical position
and a heavy load is placed on top, the post is experiencing compression
force. If the load is heavy enough, the building member will buckle (fail).
Condensation – occurs when water vapor (like steam) is cooled and forms
water droplets on the surface of a building part (such as wood, masonry, or
glass).
Crushing – occurs when compression forces are so great that the wood
fibers at the tops of vertical members are crushed. If the contractor sees
crushing, this means the vertical member is seriously overloaded.
End Nailing – when one piece of lumber is placed perpendicular to another
and a nail is driven through them both in the perpendicular direction. End
nailing is much stronger than toenailing and is used to secure joists. Joist
hangers may also be used.
Inadequate Support – load-bearing members require proper support. This
means that the horizontal members must be supported at regular intervals.
The spacing between supports depends on the load carried, the size of the
members, and the distances spanned.
Masonry Veneer – in residential construction, brick masonry is often the
exterior facing for block masonry or stud wall construction. When it is not
properly supported by a footing or by a support angle, cracks can develop.
Masonry should never be supported on wood. When water gets into the
cavity behind the veneer, corrosion of the anchors can cause the veneer to
separate from the structural wall.

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Splits – deeper cracks in the wood. They may indicate overloading or

other structural problems.
Toenailing – used to fasten vertical members such as studs to the bottom
plates of walls. Toenailing is when nails are driven at a 45-degree angle
into the wood. Toenailing tends to split wood, and it does not have the
holding capacity of end nailing. Therefore, it should not be used to support
horizontal framing members such as joists or beams.
Wet or Dry Rot – both used to describe conditions of wood decay that
result from fungal attacks. Wet rot is actually a more correct term because
wood will decay only when it has a high enough moisture content, usually
in excess of 25%.

Wood
In this section, we will review some of the common problems that a
contractor may need to recognize when working with wood-frame buildings.
Modification of Wood Framing
There are three types of wood-frame construction: post-and-beam, balloon
framing, and platform or Western framing. Post-and-beam construction
was the earliest construction system used in the U.S. It consists of widely
spaced, large-dimension wood members fastened together with pegs and
braced diagonally to provide structural stability. It is used today in some
timber frame construction.
Balloon framing was also widely used until the 1940s. Balloon framing
uses studs continuously from the sill to the eave. Floor joists are supported
on ledger strips set into the studs. Balloon framing has less shrinkage than
other types of construction, but the long length of the studs and the
declining quality of framing lumber made the continuation of this building
system more difficult. In balloon frame construction, there may be no
bottom plate on the wall; however, there will usually be fire blocking in the
walls to prevent the hollow wall cavity from serving as a fire channel. The
long stud cavity may make installation of wiring easier if the cavity has not
already been filled with insulation.

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The third framing system is platform framing or Western framing. Widely

used from the 1940s on, the system originally used joist and rafter roof
framing, solid wood exterior sheathing, and diagonal sub flooring. Today, it
is more common to use panel products for both the sub floor and the
exterior sheathing and to use trusses for the roof construction. The
construction sequence, however, is still the same: frame the first floor, put
the second floor deck in place, and then frame the second floor.
When adding to or altering any of these structural systems, it is extremely
important to understand what the load bearing functions of the various
components are and why they may or may not be able to be altered. Joist
and rafter construction, for example, is relatively easy to alter because the
original building system was field-fabricated. Additional rafters can be
added or rafters can be modified by using the standard builder's manuals to
determine the new load requirements.
Truss construction, on the other hand, is an engineered construction
system that is designed mathematically. Trusses cannot be field-altered
without consulting the company that did the original calculations to design
the truss. In most cases, trusses should not be altered at all. Never hang
new hip or jack rafters from existing common trusses as these additional
loads were not anticipated in the truss design. Also, never allow a heating
or cooling contractor to cut a truss in order to put mechanical systems in
place.
Modification of structural members (such as notching of top plates to install
plumbing) can cause problems with the building’s integrity. Similarly,
building partition walls over unsupported sub flooring, notching floor joists
improperly, or removing knee walls used to support long rafter spans are all
basic building mistakes for which a contractor called in to evaluate a
remodeling job should be alert.
Below, we will review some of the common warning signs of wood stress,
connection failure, and moisture damage that indicate trouble in the
existing construction.

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Wood Stress
Wood is vulnerable to stress. Extra heavy loads can create problems for
wood. Because wood is made up of vertical fibers that run the length of the
tree, it is much stronger in some directions than in others. The common
terms used to describe where force is being placed on a wood member
should be useful in predicting when a wood member is likely to have
problems.
Bending. When a load is placed on a horizontal wood member, the load
imposes a “bending” force. Heavy loads, especially when they are placed
in the middle of horizontal members, can effectively stretch the fibers in the
bottom of the wood member until they break.
Tension. When opposing forces are tugging on a horizontal wood member,
like a tug-of-war, the member is being subjected to tension forces. Wood is
extremely strong in tension. An example of a tension member used in a
building is a ceiling joist. The ceiling joist is held in tension by being nailed
to the ends of the rafters. The joist restrains the walls and keeps them from
falling outward when the load of the roof pushes down on them.
Compression. When a wood member is placed in a vertical position and a
heavy load is placed on its top, the post is experiencing compression force.
The larger the post, the more easily it is able to withstand a compression
force. However, the post must be absolutely plumb (straight up and down),
or compression forces can cause it to suddenly kick out at the bottom or
top. If the load is heavy enough, compression can cause the post to
gradually buckle. If a post begins to buckle, failure can occur suddenly.
Bowing or buckling vertical posts should warn the contractor of serious
overloading and possible failure. The formula for determining the likelihood
of failure in buckling is based upon l/d, the unrestrained column length
divided by the narrowest dimension of the column. If the l/d ratio exceeds
50 in a wood column, buckling failure is likely.

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Recognizing Wood Failure

Wood failure can usually be recognized by cracking, bending, or buckling.
Learning to recognize warning signs of wood stress is important.
Checks. Checks appear when wood dries. Checks are small cracks.
Checking is not an indication of a problem but merely of drying wood. Ends
of pieces of lumber are likely places for checking to occur. The contractor
should look on all sides of the wood to make sure the checks do not go all
the way through the piece.
Splits. Splits are deeper cracks in the wood. They usually go all the way
through the wood from one side to the other. They are more serious
because they weaken the wood member, sometimes dividing its strength in
half.
Crushing. Crushing occurs when compression forces are so great that the
wood fibers at the tops of vertical members are permanently deformed.
Crushing can occur at the top of a column, or may occur in the beam being
supported by the column. If the contractor sees crushing, this means the
vertical member is seriously overloaded or that there is inadequate bearing
between the vertical and horizontal members.
Buckling. Under extreme loading conditions, compression members may
bow. This introduces bending stresses and may cause sudden failure.
Inadequate support. Load-bearing members require proper support. This
means the horizontal members must be supported at regular intervals. The
spacing between supports depends on the size of the members and the
distances spanned. The contractor can look on the plans to determine the
original support spacing. Sometimes alterations are made to essential load
bearing members. The contractor should look for evidence of improper
nailing, structural alteration, or overloaded supporting members.
All horizontal load-bearing members must be properly supported. End-
nailing is the correct way to support horizontal floor joists. End-nailing is
when large nails are driven through a perpendicular member into the end of
another horizontal member, such as a floor joist.

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Toenailing is used to fasten vertical members such as studs. Toenailing is

when small nails are driven at a 45-degree angle into the wood. Toenailing
tends to split wood. End-nailing generally does not. Toenailing is a weaker
fastening method because the nails are not as long, they do not penetrate
as deeply, and they split wood. If the contractor sees toenailing used to
hold horizontal load-bearing members, this should be noted as a structural
problem.
Another way to properly support horizontal members is to use metal joist
hangers or a securely attached horizontal ledger strip on which the joists
can rest.
Center beams of buildings must be supported properly because they carry
most of the load of the building. Footings and block columns must be
properly used to support center beams. A block column should be placed
on the center of the footing, and the beam should be centered on the
column. Eccentric loading can cause the footing or the pier to tip. The
contractor should check to be sure there is a footing and that it is properly
located.
Heavy beams should not be supported on light-weight jack posts.
Concrete footings and steel columns are the correct way to support beams.
When two beam-ends meet over a support, they should join in the middle
of the support, such as a concrete block column. Where there is only a
small overlap (1"), the heavy load of walls and floors above can push the
beam down. There will be a V-shaped opening where the two beam-ends
meet.
Connection Failures in Wood
Rust-induced failures. Connection failures caused by rust also occur in
wood buildings. Damp air near salt water can cause corrosion. When
damp air and pressure-treated wood come in contact, the same kind of
damage occurs. The contractor may find corrosion of nails, joist hangers,
or connector plates in damp attics, crawl spaces, or basements. Metal
columns can rust as well.

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Truss-connection failures. Split-ring truss failure is normally caused by not

tightening the bolts on the rings regularly. Regular maintenance of these
connections is extremely important. An engineering analysis of the trusses
is recommended before any work on them is planned.
In conventional, factory-assembled trusses, undersized truss connector
plates or misplaced connector plates can weaken the truss. Occasionally,
a connection plate will have been put on in the wrong direction. On older
trusses that were built with plywood plates at the joints, the plywood may
not have been properly sized or the glue may have failed. All truss
connections should be checked to make sure they are still tight and able to
support the loads they were designed to support.
Temporary repairs to trusses may not have the strength required to support
the design load. If temporary repairs to connections are found, an engineer
should be consulted.
Connection failures can also be caused by wood shrinkage. Wood
expands and contracts seasonally. When it expands during humid
weather, it may pull the nails with it. During the heating season, the nails
will remain loose. Over time, separation between wood members can
become severe. Look for any nails that have pulled out.
Wood shrinkage can cause the fasteners on trusses to pull out. Shrinkage
also causes split-ring truss connections (bolts) to loosen. Loose
connections, whether nailed or bolted, are not secure.
Excess loading can cause connection failure. Nails pulling out of built-up
members may be an indication of heavy loading. Nails on old trusses may
pull out if the roof load is too heavy. A heavy load on the roof can be
caused by too many layers of roofing, high winds, or heavy snowfall.
Stacking bundles of shingles during a re-roofing project also can cause
failure of connections and even cracking of the top chords of the truss.

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Structural Considerations
Understanding which members are load-bearing and which are not is
essential for the contractor. Removing a vertical load-bearing member
without first checking to see what the member is supporting can cause
problems. An earlier contractor may have created problems that will be the
new contractor's responsibility to undo.
Removing Load-bearing Members
Ceiling sag can be the result of removal. Look for any sagging horizontal
members. Then check the plans to see whether the original supports have
been removed. If a horizontal member is sagging badly and there appears
to have been no supporting member removed, check the lumber grade and
span to see if the original installation was correct. When installing new
windows or doors, be sure to put in new, properly sized headers if the walls
are load-bearing so no problems are created for the next contractor. When
planning the installation of new headers, be sure to anticipate problems
caused by plumbing vents, electrical wiring, and ductwork in the walls.
Uniform and Non-uniform Loading
Uniform loading. Buildings are usually designed for uniform loads. These
are evenly distributed loads, spaced at regular intervals throughout the
building (such as boxes of paper spread across a floor area). With uniform
loading, the weight of the building's contents is evenly distributed across
the floor area. Waterbeds can be considered as a uniform load, but the
weight per square foot is usually more than the standard design load.
Point loads. Buildings can also be designed for heavy point loads. Point
loads are extremely heavy, concentrated loads. (Imagine the boxes of
paper used in the previous example all stacked one on top of the other in a
very small floor area.) With point loads, extremely heavy objects are
supported by only a small floor area.
Change in loading. The type, size, and distribution of loads may have
changed over time. For example, a room or part of a home originally
designed for beds and dressers may now be used as the library or used to
store boxes. These uses place heavy, additional loads on the building. In
another example, the second-floor unheated attic of a small building may

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have been converted to a bedroom. Because the space was not intended
to support loads caused by people and furniture (additional "live loads"),
even this amount of loading may create structural problems in the joists
that support the former attic.
When additional loads are supported on horizontal members of a structure,
the horizontal structural members will begin to sag or deflect. A heavy
point-load (a large refrigerator or a grand piano) can cause such severe
deflection that temporary supports are needed.
However, supports for permanently located, heavy point loads (cast-iron
whirlpool tubs, bookcases) must have proper footings or substantially
reinforced framing beneath them.
Sometimes increased loading is a result of forces beyond the control of the
contractor. For example, heavy snow build-up on roofs may impose
unexpected loads on the rafters or trusses. The contractor should be able
to identify the symptoms of the problem, such as loose fasteners or bowing
members. Whether caused by heavy snowfall or a slate roof, bowing in
truss members or rafters means the wood has been overstressed. When
bowing occurs in roof framing members, they may be well beyond their
capacity to carry the anticipated load without permanent deflection.
Overloading can occur during construction, such as by stacking drywall,
shingles, or other construction materials until they are ready for use.

Critical Structural Members

Identifying load-bearing walls. The contractor should be able to identify the
main load-bearing walls in a conventionally framed building. These are
walls that support the load of the roof. They may include one or more
interior walls as well as two or four exterior walls.
Internal load-bearing walls often carry the weight of the building materials
through a central beam. Walls directly above a central beam are load-
bearing. The weight is carried through the load-bearing wall and its
supports to the foundation and the soil. Beams may be found in the crawl
space or basement.

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In non-load-bearing walls, there is generally no beam supporting the weight

of the interior walls. These walls are simply light partitions used to divide
the space. However, non-load-bearing partitions may cause deflection of
sub flooring if the walls are placed between floor joists and parallel with
them. The floor layout should be planned so there are adequate structural
members (usually doubled joists) below interior partitions if thin sub flooring
is to be used.
Truss-framed buildings. Load-bearing walls in truss-framed buildings are
usually just the outer walls of the building (and internal columns or walls
with old split-ring trusses). Trusses are used because they provide
maximum flexibility in space planning. The interior walls generally can be
placed in any location.
Two outer walls of gable-roofed truss-framed structures are normally load-
bearing. Load-bearing walls in gabled-roof buildings are located on all
sides where the roof slopes down to the walls.
Hip-roofed buildings. Load-bearing walls in hip-roofed buildings may be
found on all four walls depending on the roof framing system used. The
end walls will be carrying the ends of the short trusses that rest on the
carrier truss.
Flat-roofed buildings. Load-bearing walls in flat-roofed buildings are walls
that support the weight of the roof framing. These are probably the two
outside walls, spanning the shortest distance. The ceiling joists rest on
these walls. Interior walls may be load bearing in larger buildings. Any wall
carrying the ends of bar joists or trussed joists will be load-bearing.
Structural Changes
The contractor should review the building plans and the information above.
Determine if any new doors or windows have been added. Determine if
any walls have been moved or removed. The contractor can refer to the
plans to see whether these were load-bearing or non-load-bearing walls.
Determine if any other alterations have been made.
Modifications to trusses. Each truss is designed to carry a certain amount
of load. Inspect trusses carefully to make sure they have not been
modified by additions or alterations. Modification of a common truss with

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conventional framing may have been done during previous construction.

Any additional loads (such as hanging pipes or additional framing) on a
truss can lead to failure. Trusses may have been cut to install a whole-
house fan or a pull-down stair. They may also have been cut in an attempt
to prevent truss rise.
Temporary repairs to trusses can be potentially dangerous if a licensed
structural engineer or architect does not design them. If repairs appear to
have been made to trusses, try to determine if the repairs were made using
engineered drawings. If they were not, note the repair as a temporary
repair needing evaluation by an engineer.
Joist and Rafter Construction
Knee-wall changes. Modification of knee walls can lead to problems with
rafters. Knee walls are often used to support long rafters. Adding a knee-
wall may also cause problems. Placing a knee-wall where there was none
may place additional loads on the floor joists.
Modifying purlins and collar ties. A purIin is a horizontal member placed
beneath the rafters at an intermediate point between the ridge of the roof
and the outside wall. A collar tie connects every second or third pair of
rafters and should be placed in the upper one third of the attic space.
Make sure no purIins or collar ties have been cut. Sometimes collar ties
are moved upward to provide more ceiling height when making a habitable
room in an attic. This may cause additional stress on the rafters.
Changes to bearing walls. All changes to load-bearing walls should be
approved by an engineer, architect, or building inspector.
Damage from mechanical equipment. Cutting a framing member to install
heating or cooling equipment or plumbing is a common trade practice.
These cuts weaken the building, especially a building carrying heavy loads.
A common plumbing practice is to cut the top plate of the wall to install the
main vent stack. All plumbing walls should be 6" thick to allow for the
installation of stacks without weakening the structure. Similarly, the proper
location for horizontal plumbing pipes is in the middle of the joist. Drilling a
hole in the middle of the joist will not weaken the member. Cutting a
framing member to install heating ducts is also common. The proper

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location for ductwork and registers is described in the section on

mechanical systems.
Damage to structural members. Equipment, such as forklifts, can damage
structural members such as vertical posts. Inspect members carefully to
make sure they have not been damaged by heavy equipment.
Moisture-Related Problems
Wood. Moisture-related problems are a concern in wood construction.
Many rot-producing organisms thrive in wet wood. For wood decay to
occur, the moisture level must be above 25% and the temperature must be
between 32 and 110 degrees F. Conditions that produce moisture
problems also increase the likelihood that insects will attack the wood.
Often, damage from both insects and rot will occur simultaneously.
A moisture meter can be used to determine the moisture content of wood.
There are many different brands of moisture meters that will give an
accurate reading of in-use moisture content. However, the contractor may
also be able to determine if the wood is wet simply by looking at it or
probing it with an awl or screwdriver. It is not absolutely necessary to
determine the moisture content of wood. It is necessary to note when
moisture is beginning to cause structural problems.
Poorly ventilated spaces are likely places to look for decay. In crawl
spaces, moisture evaporates from the damp ground. The ground in crawl
spaces should be covered with polyethylene or a similar vapor retarder
material. If the ground is not covered, the contractor inspecting the building
for the first time may see decay on the joists. The contractor should
recognize the white, cottony appearance of this form of decay. Dark stains
or stains that look like mildew on the wood also indicate the presence of
moisture and possible decay.
Decay is also likely where moisture and freezing temperatures occur.
When water vapor hits a cold surface, it will condense, and eventually this
may cause wood to decay. If the contractor sees that the wood members
around the perimeter of a building (such as the band joist) have water
condensing on them, he or she should note this as a possible condition that
will create decay. Condensation occurs on these wood members because

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they are much colder than building materials nearer the middle of the room.
Extensive decay can increase the scope of work.
Moisture can condense on the underside of the roof. Ice forms on the
plywood sheathing of poorly ventilated attic spaces. The moisture is not
the result of a roof leak! It results from high moisture levels in the building.
Many times a crawl space with no plastic over it will cause this ice
formation in the attic because water evaporates from the soil and rises into
the cold attic. Bathroom or kitchen vent fans or a clothes dryer discharging
directly into the attic can cause it. Moist air moving through the plumbing
chase from the crawl space or basement will often cause moisture
condensation on the roof sheathing above the plumbing wall. The top of
the plumbing wall should always be sealed in the attic to prevent this
convection transfer of moisture.
Brown stains occur on plywood that has been wet. Brown, discolored
areas mean the plywood is beginning to decay.
The moisture does not just affect the wood itself; it also affects the
fasteners and nails that hold the wood members together. This is
especially a problem when trusses are made of fire-retardant-treated wood.
The treatment chemicals contain salts that corrode the metal rapidly if
water or water vapor is present. The contractor should be alert for rust or
salts on fasteners.

Poor Building Practice

Poor building details that allow moisture to be trapped or permit laminated
wood members to be exposed to moisture are a common cause of failure,
and they are a headache for a contractor who must fix someone else's
mistakes. This section outlines some of the poor building practices that a
contractor may find during a building evaluation.
Earth-to-wood contact causes wood to decay. The soil line should be at
least 8 inches below any wood parts of the building. Exterior sheathing
material can decay because water from the ground is wicking up into it.
Check to make sure there is always an 8-inch separation between the earth
and the nearest wood members.

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Column or post bottoms exposed to water are also building practices that
make wood decay possible. Water is especially likely to cause trouble if
the end grain of wood is exposed to it. This is because wood is composed
of hollow vertical tubes. When a tree is alive, nutrients and water climb
these tubes and go to the leaves. Even when the tree is no longer living,
the tubes are still part of the structure of wood. These tubes provide an
easy path for water entry on the cut ends of wood members. The
contractor can check to make sure the wood is still strong by probing the
wood with a screwdriver or scratch awl. If the wood is easy to penetrate,
decay is likely.
Any assembly that can trap water creates a decay hazard. For example, a
concrete ledge draining toward a wood member can cause decay. Stains
on the bottom of the wood show where water has wicked up into it. Watch
ledges closely and use a level if necessary to find out if water drains toward
the building or remains standing on wood members.
If wood is not treated with chemicals to inhibit decay, it will rot. Stains on
the beam ends may indicate decay. This often occurs on the exposed
beam ends in post-and-beam construction. When laminated beams are
exposed to the weather, the glue may also fail. The contractor should note
whether the glue is still holding members together. Boxed-in beam ends
are also vulnerable.

Insect Infestation
In addition to the problems caused by water, water vapor, and poor
construction practice, wood is vulnerable to insect attack. Insects generally
thrive in the same environments as rot-producing organisms. The signs of
damage may even look similar. The contractor should not be too
concerned with identifying the problem insect. Instead, the contractor
should try to determine the exact location where insect damage is seen and
determine the extent of the damage.
Termites, powder-post beetles, carpenter ants, and carpenter bees all
attack wood. While all are different, the effect on the wood is essentially
the same. The wood is eaten or removed by the pest. Evidence of the

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infestation is seen in the debris left by the insect. If the contractor sees
insect debris, he or she should write down the location where the evidence
was seen so a licensed pest control operator can be called to determine if
there is an active infestation.
Mud tubes over walls are a sign of a subterranean termite infestation. They
can be found on the outsides and insides of walls. Termites build these
mud tubes to be able to get up to their source of food and water. The ideal
humidity for termites is 97%, so the tubes maintain a moist passageway
between the wood and their nest in the ground.
Debris from insects often looks like particles of sawdust. These particles
are called frass. Insect damage in walls can be hidden from view. If the
inspector has reason to suspect insect damage, he or she will usually have
seen evidence of it in crawl spaces, on foundation walls, on porches, or in
attics. The contractor should use a flashlight to inspect concealed areas for
damage.
The contractor can probe floor joists with an awl or screwdriver. If the
screwdriver slides easily into the wood, insect damage may be present.
Rather than large channels, some insects, such as powder-post beetles,
leave small holes in the wood. Small exit holes will be visible where the
insects leave the infested material. More substantial damage may exist
inside the wood member. Probe the wood to determine the extent of
damage.
Earth-to-wood contact is an open invitation for insects to attack. The
contractor should investigate any areas where earth and wood touch one
another. Check for insect activity, and check to see whether water is
damaging the wood. Insects can infest even wood that has been pressure-
treated if the treatment chemicals have not fully penetrated to the center of
the wood.

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Discussion Questions
A general contractor doing remodeling should find these discussion
questions easy to answer. Someone shifting from new construction to
remodeling would benefit from discussing the answers with an experienced
person, such as a foreman or long-time contractor.

1. How can a contractor identify a load-bearing wall? What safety

precautions should be taken before a contractor removes a load-
bearing wall or load-bearing member?

2. How can a contractor identify where plumbing, heating, and electrical

chases are located?

3. How should a contractor go about the following common repairs: if

the house has sagged at the center beam; if the band joist area or
other area at the perimeter is damaged by rot; if frost heave or
expansive soils have caused porch columns to tilt?

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 Certified Remodeler
Module 5: Evaluation of Existing Construction

Sample Questions
1. The term "bearing wall" refers to a wall:
a. supported by a steel beam
b. supporting an earth backfill
c. supported by a trimmer arch
d. supporting loads above it
2. Diagonal sub flooring may be found in older buildings. This sub
flooring was used:
a. to stiffen the building
b. because it was easier to lay
c. because it was less expensive
d. because it meant less nailing
3. Nosing would probably be found in:
a. window frames
b. stairs
c. saddles
d. scarfs
4. Post-and-beam construction often uses:
a. large-dimension members
b. diagonal members for stability
c. pegs rather than nails
d. all of the above
5. Western framing refers to a type of construction that was:
a. unique to California
b. commonly used throughout the West
c. easier to build than balloon framing
d. in use after WWII throughout the U.S.
e. a&c
f. c&d

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 Certified Remodeler
Module 5: Evaluation of Existing Construction

6. Asked to put a 2nd-floor room addition over a slab-on-grade house

originally built with a trench foundation, the contractor would have to
find out:
a. whether code would permit an additional story
b. whether the footing was large enough for the anticipated load of
the house
c. what the bearing capacity of the soil would allow
d. the thickness of the slab
e. a, b, & c
f. b, c, & d
g. a, b, & d
7. In balloon framing, the floor joists for the second floor rest on:
a. the top plate of the first floor walls
b. the double top plate of the first floor walls
c. a horizontal ledger strip let into the studs
d. 4 x 4 posts, spaced 48" o.c.
8. The wood fibers at the top of a 4 x 4 post supporting the main beam
in a 2-story house are being crushed. One large crack runs 2-feet
down the post. What is causing the cracking?
a. check-drying of the wood
b. poor lumber grade
c. overloading
d. inadequate footings beneath the post

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 Certified Remodeler
Module 5: Evaluation of Existing Construction

Explanatory Notes
Very few of the references really give the contractor much help in
diagnosing building problems or in anticipating conditions that can make a
job more expensive or complicated. Therefore, it is highly recommended
that a future contractor acquire some experience specifically in remodeling
before shifting from new construction. If the person is already working in a
firm, the person who does the evaluation of the existing construction should
be encouraged to communicate with younger members of the firm. Sharing
the thought process that goes into evaluating the building and preparing the
bid is actually more important for the person just coming up in the trade
than seeing the bottom line figure or the final job plan.

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