Slanted workshop walls

[Ray_Manor]

Am redoing my workshop and discovered my walls are out of plumb by an

1.5" I don't know whether I should treat this as a serious problem and try to correct it or to improve the diagonal bracing.

A few details: the shop is in a converted two car garage with a shed roof 14' at one end sloping to 8' at the other. These end walls are out of plumb by 1.5". The only diagonal bracing is 2x4 lumber nailed to the studs on the back wall (which is presently sheathed in 3/8 plywood with corroded finish nails). I intend to sheath this wall with

15/32nd plywood to strengthen it. The front wall has two car garage door opening and no diagonal bracing.

Will sheathing the back wall with plywood be sufficient to stabilize the shop and prevent future movement?

Thanks for comments,

Ray

[BobK207]

~1.5 over 8'; the top on the stubs aren't over the bottom. Don't you want your shop to reflect your style of work? How old is the place? Exterior finish; stucco? siding?

Get a come-along and a friend (or not) & true that structure up. Since there appears to be very limited lateral capacity it won't take much force.

A few sheets of 3/8 ply & 8d galv gun nails (2 3/8 x .113) @ 6 oc will make a world of difference. You can use 15/32 if you want the thickness for mounting stuff to the wall . Make sure you keep the bottom edge of the plywood off the garage floor at least 3/8" (water).

Whether or not sheathing the back wall will stabilize the stucture depends on the strength & stiffness of the roof diaphragm. In any case the side walls will need some sheathing as well

How big (plan) is the shop? If it's only about 25 x 25 you could get away with as little as one sheet per wall, but I'd use two sheets (every corner) Does the open end have any "return walls"? If not, you've got a three sided box & without a reasonably stable roof diaphragm it won't have much stability.

That said I've got a 1930 detached garage that I trued up with turn buckles & left them in place, no return walls, no real roof diaphragm, no plywood just stucco. Still true after 20 years & 4 minor earthquakes & countless 60mph wind storms. YMMV

cheers Bob

[J T]

Sun, Feb 27, 2005, 10:29am (EST-3) Ray [e-mail] claims: Am redoing my workshop and discovered my walls are out of plumb by an

1.5" =A0 I don't know whether I should treat this as a serious problem

Oh. Wow. Yes. Absolutely. Serious. Tear it down and build a new one.

Will sheathing the back wall with plywood be sufficient to stabilize the shop and prevent future movement?

What do you mean, "prevent future movement"? It wanders around? It goes visiting the neighbor's garage? What?

JOAT Intellectual brilliance is no guarantee against being dead wrong.

- David Fasold