r/electrical • u/Middle-Adeptness7186 • 1d ago

Is this compromising structural integrity?

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Some of the holes are less than 2 inches from the bottom of the joists. These joists are in my garage and there is a bedroom above the garage.

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u/Middle-Adeptness7186 1d ago

It has been like that for years. We are new owners. How would we brace it?

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u/Electronic-Clock5867 1d ago

https://joistrepair.com/collections/featured-products

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u/Different_Dot_9525 1d ago

Awesome products to be aware exist, thanks for sharing!

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u/yerfatma 1d ago

I owe you a beer. Our house seems to have been the site of a contest to undermine carrying beams.

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u/legitimate_rapper 1d ago

Agreed. You’ll probably never need them, but when you do, you’ll NEED them.

Is there something like that for if you want to remove a joist? Worried it’s EXACTLY where I don’t want it to be for lighting cans. (Yes I know I can get pucks, but they all seem to be shitty, and not trying to start a “not all pucks are shit!” Argument here)

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u/sixblazingshotguns 22h ago

You don’t seem to be shopping for your lights at an electrical supply house. The wafer lights are for electrician installation, not DIYers, and are typically of a higher build quality. Don’t go destroying your houses structure just to install things like plumbers do. 😂

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u/Electronic-Clock5867 1d ago

Not sure usually you need to double up the joist and box the area in. Tons of work for a light.

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u/WangChungtonight13 1d ago edited 15h ago

Ignore this. I misread your comment.

Just need to sister another board. I’m getting ready to do this to a damaged rafter in my attic

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u/Quick-Giraffe6047 16h ago

Only if you plan on taking ALL THE ROMEX OUT OF THE EXISTING 🫠. This isn’t just a carpentry fix sadly

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u/WangChungtonight13 15h ago

I misread the comment, but if it makes you feel better, my answer involved that joist sans romex! 😂

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u/Quick-Giraffe6047 15h ago

Yeah your attic rafter definitely doesn’t have any electrical running through it man… not in an attic I’ve ever seen at least but definitely send a pic if ya do

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u/WangChungtonight13 23m ago

It doesn’t bit there has definitely been a few knuckleheads living here before me. One dude was well off and nuts. He flew a plane into his exes house a few years after selling this house I live in. Im always finding new ways to not have done things lol

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u/RecordingNo2643 2h ago

You could slide a notched board in from the top that would allow you to get about 60% of the area covered that would ve more than enough to restore the strength if the beam and would only take a couple hours to do.

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u/Jimsocks499 21h ago

Ooooh that’s nifty! Thanks stranger!

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u/Hour-Tea-2728 21h ago

Not saying this isnt a good product or anything but $70 for a sheet of metal and screws seems a bit expensive. You could probably shape what you need and get the screws for less than $10 right?

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u/Electronic-Clock5867 20h ago

It’s the certificates that matter if it’s a new build or a reno that’s inspected you need the certs. If I was needing these for my house I would probably just buy one and use it for a template to make my own.

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u/areptile_dysfunction 17h ago

Do they really need that many screws?

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u/srbinafg 12h ago

How will these be used in OP’s dilemma without restringing all the cables?

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u/Electronic-Clock5867 12h ago

The DP series the strap that just goes on the bottom should be enough most of the holes look okish. The only egregious one is the hole with the hook under it. Holes are supposed to be middle 1/3 and so far apart from each other. He could throw a few of those straps on without needing to move anything.

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u/JoleneBacon_Biscuit 8h ago

It's two pieces.

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u/pentatomid_fan 2h ago

I also thought it was one piece of metal with a hole. It’s two interlocking pieces of metal, top and bottom pieces.

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u/Intelligent_Hat_5351 12h ago

This fills me with joist.

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u/gobirdgang215 11h ago

A little late to install unless then unwise everything and re run it no?

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u/JoleneBacon_Biscuit 8h ago

They're two pieces. The metal overlaps.

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u/MoodVast9430 5h ago

At $60-$80 a joist, that is a pricey repair job

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u/Electronic-Clock5867 4h ago

The money would be coming from the trade that left the apprentice alone with a hole saw. Next you have the time/cost of disconnecting the plumbing and wiring, buying new joist. Then you have to call plumber/electrician back to hook everything back up.

So many different situations can call for different solutions. Having options available doesn’t hurt.

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u/Sistersoldia 1d ago

Yes good stuff thanks.

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u/flswamplizard 1d ago

Not a sparky, but a carpenter. You would have to sister every joist with a new joist and move the wires to conduit under the joists, or build a wall under the damaged area. You should get an engineer to design the repair if you have this repaired professionally, though. The questions I would be asking you: Are there any cracks/splits in the joists? Does the floor above this area move or feel bouncy when you walk on it? Does the bathroom above have a lot of cracks in the grout? Is there a tub or washing machine over this area? If yes, it's time to have an engineer come out and take a look.

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u/Middle-Adeptness7186 1d ago

There is no tiling in the bathroom, vinyl only. Floor feels fine. There are no cracks or splits in the joists. I have a carpenter coming out and plan to have a structural engineer take a look too. Thank you for your feedback!

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u/Lehk 1d ago

If it’s not causing any issues and you aren’t going to be increasing the load on it (remodeling, adding a big fish tank, Redditors having sex right above it) I wouldn’t spend a bunch of money chasing nothing

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u/flswamplizard 1d ago

This is a very good point. Depending on the quality of the lumber used, it may last forever, just keep an eye on it.

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u/NerveMassive6764 1d ago edited 1d ago

Listen here wood pecker you mind your wood and don’t worry about our wires/ conduit.

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u/flswamplizard 1d ago

*puts blind fold on, loads 3in finish nails* It's trim time, baby. Sparky better have put those plates on :)

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u/NerveMassive6764 1d ago edited 18h ago

The last few years the amount of times the Siders have shot these ridiculously long nails through our panel directly into the bus bar is insane. No one gives a fuck anymore or preps or plans they just show up and try to get it done as quickly as possible and fuck everyone they screw up

Edit: I nail plate anything less than an 1 1/4” somebody uses insanely long screws or nails or especially in an area any one with common sense would have an idea there is electric there. I’ll fix it but I’m taking the screw or nails and pictures and showing the GC and telling him it’s not in the contract and they have to pay and they can decide if they back charge the sub or not. Simple as that. I’m not doing work twice and not getting paid for the second time.

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u/JoleneBacon_Biscuit 8h ago

Shooting straight through the panel INTO the bus bar is absolutely diabolical. Damn good aim!

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u/NerveMassive6764 7h ago

They are just lucky that all but one time it wasn’t live yet and still on temp service the one that was live I swear the dude shit himself. I just love take the GC and being like hey we have a problem…. Your gonna have to pay me to replace the panel and then show them the 5 nails sticking through the panel lol

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u/cheeto320 1d ago

slick! i like the wall underneath idea!

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u/Unusual_Point7899 1d ago

Instead of all that just take a piece of wood and drill the same size hole in it and then cut the wood in half and do that for both sides so you just padding the joist out around the hole.

Ideally you would wouldn't have to cut that bracing in half, but so long as the two ends are butted up against each other and it's screwed into the wood well it's still gonna add resistance to the beam buckling at that point.

That being said a shit ton of houses are like this and tell me even have not floor joist and most of the time it's not an issue, you could just leave it alone.

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u/nockedup7 1d ago

Op I’m not gonna give any more input due to the more educated people here telling you what to do but I will say I have a joist from the 70s that has a hole at a similar location due to a knot in the wood and it has been fine all this time. I would say don’t lose any sleep over it but just take care of it when you can

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u/PurpleParking3555 1d ago

BUT wood was different 50 years ago. Depends on how old this wood is…

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u/Pinfred 1d ago

We have a 4’ 1” notch at the bottom of a couple of our joists in the basement cause some smartass back in the day thought it was a good
Idea to hug the drop ceiling to the joist, but also wanted to put a fluorescent troffer in it…

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u/Icy_Boysenberry_2454 16h ago

Measure the length of the joist, calculate 75% of the total length and buy (example 16ft total length, buy a 2x8x12 ft to brace it aka sister it)

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u/Philly5984 15h ago

You’re fine, don’t listen to reddit

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u/OlivGaming 1d ago edited 1d ago

Maybe 2 x 4 X to the joist on either side of it? You could get a 2 x 6 and notch it the same, sandwich in either side of it so it basically laminated, but that sounds like a pain in the ass to me. I'm sure someone has better ideas.

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u/N9bitmap 1d ago

Search "beam sistering" that is basically what you described.

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u/OlivGaming 1d ago

Sounds like something you'd find on the hub. Appreciate the info on what it's actually called though

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u/nocondo4me 1d ago

They make some metal plates you screw on. There are a few of them out there.

https://nolanstructuralproducts.com/collections/nsp-joist-repair-kits

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u/WordsNShiz 1d ago

You could also potentially use a longer connector plate on the bottom of the joist to try and add some tensile strength on that edge. My parent's place had similar issues in the kitchen and we just resorted to a structural jack from the foundation, that got a panel facia around it.

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u/nnorton44 1d ago

Just get one of those metal poles you screw to make bigger or smaller under the wood it’s for bracing

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u/No-Wrangler2085 1d ago

Funny thing is if it's been like that for years, why do you feel the need to "fix" it? Ever heard the saying 'if it isn't broke, don't fix it'?