Every single home must be built to be structurally sound. The amount of required structural support multiplies when homes are 3 or 4 stories. We would all like to believe that builders would go the extra mile and install structural steel beams, at least between floors 1 and 2. The reality is that the least expensive method is sometimes chosen over the most reliable method.
When we, at ICE Stucco Repair, look at moisture assessment/stucco inspection reports, we must rely on what is reported to us. Our experience has taught us to look beyond what is right in front of us.
Stucco Inspectors have no way of telling if a structural beam is involved in the damage assessment. Most have a good idea, but it is hard for them to go on record without viewing the underlying conditions. There are key locations where we will typically find a structural beam.
1. The first place would be the garage header. Most garage openings span 16 feet. With a span that large, you can count on a beam to be installed to support everything above it. In some instances, a builder will have steel in place, but in most cases, it will be a wooden power or engineered beam. This is the beam that is replaced most often when we are repairing a stucco home as it is where residual water will settle.
2. The next location/locations are between each floor at the floor line. These will almost always be a prelaminated or engineered beam. While we might not always see significant damage between the floors, homes with rooftop terraces or Juliette balconies on higher floors, that are improperly installed or not maintained, may tend to leak, and damage the beams at the floor line.
3. Lastly, the beams that are the most difficult to calculate and ultimately, to repair are beams that are cantilevered into the home. These beams are found when there is a balcony that is cantilevered over the garage or higher up. They are also found with box bays or bump-out walls. The beams will have been installed far inside of the exterior framing boundary lines and may extend 10 feet or more under the floors. If the end of the beams is rotten, we can cut them off but we cannot remove the beam without a massive interior remediation. We will typically marry a new beam to the failed one and slide it in place far under the flooring system.
As with the inspector, we will not know if we will have a beam replacement when we are working off the stucco repair proposal. We will, however, provide a cost for all beam replacements that we believe will occur. Our proposal will include all the information necessary to select us as the preferred contractor. We prefer to give a credit back for not replacing the beam rather than risk surprising a customer once we start.
Our stucco repair proposals are the best and most detailed of any firm in the area. We take the time necessary to include the appropriate details and pictures, and we touch on all areas of repair to make it an easy choice.