I've got someone who wants to knock out the fireplace in the middle of the house. It's already been removed (not a masonry FP, just stone veneered on stud), but what's left are two 8x8 solid timber posts which extend from the 2nd floor up to the ridge timber. Then there is a composite type pair of posts that most definitely supports the beam supporting the 2nd floor joists.
The rafters and ties are all fastened with large lags or wood dowels. There's a very similar type of setup in another part of the house which I've attached a picture of which has no posts supporting it. That leads me to believe these posts were not there to support the ridge, only stability for the FP.
We'll be swapping out the 2nd floor beam for steel but for these 8x8's, I'm inclined to just have them take them out. However, I wanted more data so we're going to set up a string line or laser and take out of the timbers to see how much the roof deflects, if any.
Has anyone come across a similar setup like this?
The rafters and ties are all fastened with large lags or wood dowels. There's a very similar type of setup in another part of the house which I've attached a picture of which has no posts supporting it. That leads me to believe these posts were not there to support the ridge, only stability for the FP.
We'll be swapping out the 2nd floor beam for steel but for these 8x8's, I'm inclined to just have them take them out. However, I wanted more data so we're going to set up a string line or laser and take out of the timbers to see how much the roof deflects, if any.
Has anyone come across a similar setup like this?
