SON OF GARAGE ALERT!
Well, I'd like to thank everybody for the flood of garage information that
has come in. Pat's laminated plywood beam sounds like a winner, especially
since I have recently acquired a table saw and a one of those battery-operated
driver-drills. However, I still have some concerns...
1) The existing joists are 16 feet long. Plywood is only 8 feet long. It
seems to me, that if I butt two pieces together, a concentration of stresses
will occur at their joint that could snap the joist! Maybe if I use three
pieces on each side?
2) I assume that the screws are only there to hold everything together
while the glue dries. Therefore, sheetrock screws should work just fine.
3) Pat, are you SURE that a mere one inch total thickness of reinforcement
is adequate to straighten a three-and-a-half-inch thick sagging joist? ( one
thing I hate about house stuff, is that nothing is what it is called: for
example, 2x4's are not two inches thick, nor are they four inches wide! I
won't even MENTION plumbing:-( )
4) I believe I'll use that beige-colored carpenters' glue. As pointed out,
it is not waterproof, but my garage is not a damp place, as long as the roof
doesn't leak!
- Jerry
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