Foundation to treated plate
Hi Rummer Neighbors,
My home was completed in 1971-72.
Does anyone know if bolting the home to the foundation was required or done to our homes?
Anyone know of a reliable company to assess that?
Thanks,
TV
From what I've seen in my house built in '69, I've see a few bolts here and there on exterior walls. If you dig (1'-18") down around your slab down to the footing, you should see some metal "wiring" coming out every 6-8'. I believe that wiring corresponds to the bolts in the outer walls. However I think it's for the wood buried in the slab that exterior walls are nailed to. It's been a while since I opened my walls so I can't be 100% sure.
What are you trying to locate them for?
-AM
Stan
I know someone who actually worked with the contractors building a few of these houses. I will let you know if I get an answer from him.
JH
I know that in Portland the requirement to bolt the home to the foundation dates back to 1960. Don't know if this includes a wider area, like Washington County.
-AG
Hi Stan and AM,
I am trying to get earthquake insurance. They require proof of how the house is bolted to the foundation. I had a contractor look, but without the building or construction plans, he can't see what was used. Washington County does not save such plans more than 2 years. Since I'll probably need a structural engineer's assessment, even the building plans of another Rummer would be a useful and time saving tool.
Does any have their building plans???
It's different than the site plan which is available.
Note: the contractor was impressed that this home was well constructed.
I'm not sure if I'm the only Rummer with a crawl space. He gave the measurements of posts and beams and decking.
Thanks,
TV
TV,
I had an exterior wall uncovered recently and did not see that the house was bolted to the foundation. The seismic building code requirements were very different in 1971, because the area was classified in a different zone. I doubt bolts were required back then, but am not certain.
For our house designs, I am not certain that bolting the frame to the foundation would be advantageous. It may be, but I have some question in my mind. It’s different than a regular house because the whole thing sits on a slab, and a certain amount of “float” might be OK. Reinforcing the post and beam connections at the point where the ends of beams meet over a post might be more important.
I know some structural engineers. Let me know if you want a name and number. If you are interested in hiring one to tell us what he thinks, I would be interested in sharing the cost and the results. Perhaps others might share the cost as well.
-- ML
I am sure my husband would like to know the same thing. I think the Japanese earthquake is a wake-up call for all of us but one wonders if post and beam houses are especially vulnerable. I know that there are several posts in our home that have the ends of two beams sitting on them. So if anyone answers this, please forward to us as well.
I know, does anyone know how to reach Mr. Rummer? We met him at an open house in the Oak Hills neighborhood last year, so at least until then, he was still around. He would probably know the answer to the question.
Thank you,
TW
(See the final answer below)
Foundation to treated plate
Bolting to the foundation was and still is required by Rummer and the building department
PR
I got a response from NW Seismic that will probably be useful to other Rummer home owners. Is there a way to get this to them? This is the comment of a seismic engineer in the bay area. When he refers to slab-on-grade houses he means Rummer or Eichler homes:
All other things being equal, slab-on-grade houses are a lot less likely to get damaged than houses with crawlspaces. Three primary reasons for this: 1) There are more walls resisting the EQ forces, since partition walls are usually at least connected with Ram-Set pins; 2) The walls have material on both sides (even if gyp or plaster) and 3) the EQ forces are less because you don't have the additional mass of the floor that needs to shake around.
Pretty much I tell people with houses on slabs that unless they are opening up walls anyway, it's probably not worth adding anchors.
All the best, LS
My home was completed in 1971-72.
Does anyone know if bolting the home to the foundation was required or done to our homes?
Anyone know of a reliable company to assess that?
Thanks,
TV
From what I've seen in my house built in '69, I've see a few bolts here and there on exterior walls. If you dig (1'-18") down around your slab down to the footing, you should see some metal "wiring" coming out every 6-8'. I believe that wiring corresponds to the bolts in the outer walls. However I think it's for the wood buried in the slab that exterior walls are nailed to. It's been a while since I opened my walls so I can't be 100% sure.
What are you trying to locate them for?
-AM
Stan
I know someone who actually worked with the contractors building a few of these houses. I will let you know if I get an answer from him.
JH
I know that in Portland the requirement to bolt the home to the foundation dates back to 1960. Don't know if this includes a wider area, like Washington County.
-AG
Hi Stan and AM,
I am trying to get earthquake insurance. They require proof of how the house is bolted to the foundation. I had a contractor look, but without the building or construction plans, he can't see what was used. Washington County does not save such plans more than 2 years. Since I'll probably need a structural engineer's assessment, even the building plans of another Rummer would be a useful and time saving tool.
Does any have their building plans???
It's different than the site plan which is available.
Note: the contractor was impressed that this home was well constructed.
I'm not sure if I'm the only Rummer with a crawl space. He gave the measurements of posts and beams and decking.
Thanks,
TV
TV,
I had an exterior wall uncovered recently and did not see that the house was bolted to the foundation. The seismic building code requirements were very different in 1971, because the area was classified in a different zone. I doubt bolts were required back then, but am not certain.
For our house designs, I am not certain that bolting the frame to the foundation would be advantageous. It may be, but I have some question in my mind. It’s different than a regular house because the whole thing sits on a slab, and a certain amount of “float” might be OK. Reinforcing the post and beam connections at the point where the ends of beams meet over a post might be more important.
I know some structural engineers. Let me know if you want a name and number. If you are interested in hiring one to tell us what he thinks, I would be interested in sharing the cost and the results. Perhaps others might share the cost as well.
-- ML
I am sure my husband would like to know the same thing. I think the Japanese earthquake is a wake-up call for all of us but one wonders if post and beam houses are especially vulnerable. I know that there are several posts in our home that have the ends of two beams sitting on them. So if anyone answers this, please forward to us as well.
I know, does anyone know how to reach Mr. Rummer? We met him at an open house in the Oak Hills neighborhood last year, so at least until then, he was still around. He would probably know the answer to the question.
Thank you,
TW
(See the final answer below)
Foundation to treated plate
Bolting to the foundation was and still is required by Rummer and the building department
PR
I got a response from NW Seismic that will probably be useful to other Rummer home owners. Is there a way to get this to them? This is the comment of a seismic engineer in the bay area. When he refers to slab-on-grade houses he means Rummer or Eichler homes:
All other things being equal, slab-on-grade houses are a lot less likely to get damaged than houses with crawlspaces. Three primary reasons for this: 1) There are more walls resisting the EQ forces, since partition walls are usually at least connected with Ram-Set pins; 2) The walls have material on both sides (even if gyp or plaster) and 3) the EQ forces are less because you don't have the additional mass of the floor that needs to shake around.
Pretty much I tell people with houses on slabs that unless they are opening up walls anyway, it's probably not worth adding anchors.
All the best, LS