Structure Flashcards
Which full-height studs are nailed to jack studs?
King studs
What are the short studs over window and door frames called?
Cripple studs.
The first horizontally placed lumber that goes on top of the sub-floor material is called?
The Sole / Bottom plate
A vertical masonry member that can serve as either a vertical beam or a column or both, is called?
A pilaster
Jack studs are sometimes called what?
Trimmers.
Jack studs may be replaced when this is attached to the king stud?
A steel header hanger.
What is the bottom horizontal member of an exterior wall frame which rests on top a foundation and sometimes called a mudsill?
A sill plate.
Slab-on-grade foundations are popular in areas where there is a high?
Water table
Between the sill plate and foundation wall there should be metal?
Termite flashing
On a slab-on-grade foundation, there’s usually gravel and this between the ground and concrete?
A vapor retarder.
A large vertical foundation crack or signs of ongoing movement could indicate what?
Serious settlement
These small cracks are less of a concern than settlement crack?
Shrinkage cracks.
Vertical cracks are not typically known to be caused by this?
Freezing soil.
Diagonal cracks in a poured concrete foundation that are fairly uniform in width or are hairline-type are caused by what?
Shrinkage
How far above grade should wood siding and sill plates be?
6 inches
Diagonal cracks that are wider at the bottom than at the top, may indicate what?
Settlement.
These may affect the foundation or underground drainage pipes and could raise the soil level too high against the foundation.
Roots
Diagonal cracks over windows indicate what?
A weak header.
The maximum slope of a lot should roughly be what?
1-in-2.
Diagonal cracks in a poured concrete foundation that may allow water entry, do not constitute a structural?
Defect
When an attached garage slab does this, it will often pull away from the home and leave cracks?
Heaves or settles
This may be caused by pressure on the outside of the foundation wall below grade, improper back-filling, or expansive soil and frost?
Horizontal cracking
Cracked and crumbling parge coating is usually caused by what and needs to be noted?
Moisture intrusion
Weep Holes are typically spaced apart horizontally along the bottom of the brick veneer wall at what intervals?
24 inches and 36 inches
A crack that forms a V-shape may indicate heaving from what?
The footing.
If the middle top of an exterior wall is pushed out, this may indicate what?
Roof spreading
Tiny cracks that follow the plaster surface that look like spider veins may be indicative of what kind of problem behind the plaster itself?
A moisture problem
Joists should not be cantilevered more than a _____ or_____ , whichever is smaller?
1/4 of its length or 3 times its width.
This shape of crack would be reported as a major structural concern and defect with correction and further evaluation by a structural engineer?
V-shaped.
These holes may also be above a header lintel of a window or door?
Weep holes
Cracks larger at the bottom that form an upside-down V or pyramid shape indicates what?
Settlement or drooping in the middle.
Brick veneer that is more pronounced near the middle of the wall and then disappears at the ends may be an indication of what?
Inward Bowing at the top of the Foundation
A crack in a mortar joint should be repaired and monitored for indications that it is still?
Active.
How much can brick veneer stick out past the foundation wall and still be considered acceptable?
Up to a 1-inch.
Are hair-line cracks in a basement’s concrete floor considered a serious structural defect?
No
Sill plate bolts should have what size washers?
2-inch
Crawlspaces access openings must be a minimum of what size?
18 x 24
Columns and posts must be pressure-treated if closer than this to the soil?
8 inches
A crack with no dust or debris, or a crack in a painted wall with out paint in it are signs of what?
An active crack.
What is the minimum size for a collar tie?
1x4 (nominal)
Any observed indication or evidence of a roof leak must be reported as in need of what?
Correction.
What is the maximum spacing for collar ties?
4 feet on center.
Diagonal cracks that grow in width, especially ones that are wider at the bottom than at the top, indicate?
Settlement.
Columns and Posts must be constrained to?
Their footings.
Cracked tiles are usually the result of the sub-floor not being?
Rigid enough.
It is difficult to tell if slab-on-grade cracks indicate a structural problem, so all such cracks should be?
Noted and reported.
In crawlspaces, the grade (soil) should be at least how many inches below the bottom of the floor joists?
18-inches
In crawlspaces, the grade (soil) should be at least how many inches below the bottom of beams?
12-inches
Horizontal cracks are caused by this on the outside of the foundation wall below grade?
Pressure
T/F The longer a crack has been there, the less of a structural issue it is.
True
As a general rule, any cracks in concrete walls or concrete slabs that are this size may be an indication of serious problems that require evaluation by a licensed professional engineer.
1/4-inch wide or wider
When there are observed indications of water intrusion or penetration through the foundation wall, what should be recommended?
Further evaluation by a qualified contractor
If the sill plate on top of concrete foundations isn’t made from treated wood, it should have what between them?
Sill sealers or separators between them.
A crawlspace opening less than 18-inches should be reported as a what?
Restriction
Any portion of a masonry chimney located in the interior of the building (such as an attic space) should have at least this amount of air-space clearance from combustibles?
2 inches
In the first 10 feet, the ground surface should slope a minimum of how much?
6 inches
Sill plate anchor bolts maximum spacing is what?
6 feet on center.
The arrangement of windows and doors in a building is called?
Fenestration
The max length for notches in a joist is?
1/3 width of board.
What is the minimum thickness of drywall required on the walls and ceilings of an attached garage?
1/2-inch drywall
Notches should not be cut into what part of the span?
The middle third.
A foundation wall penetration should be reported if signs of this exist?
Leakage
When lowering a basement floor, if the soil is excavated only to the bottom of the footing, it may result in loss of this?
Lateral support for the footing.
How much bearing should a joist have on wood or metal?
1 1/2 inches
How much bearing should a joist have on masonry?
Not less than 3 inches
