I'm currently having some renovations done in my second-floor bathroom, switching a corner shower drain to a center drain. However, it turns out there's a joist that someone told me is load-bearing, and now I'm feeling pretty uneasy about the whole situation. I've been dealing with a restoration company since January, and so many things have gone wrong, I'm losing faith in their contractor. It seems like they didn't even measure properly. The drain would almost directly intersect with the joist. Should I be concerned about them cutting into this joist, and what's the best way to handle moving my drain? Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
You should definitely check if your job is being permitted and inspected. It might be worth bringing this up with your local building inspector to see what they expect from the contractor. Given your distrust in the restoration crew, consider hiring a structural engineer for a few bucks to get their take on the situation. Depending on their assessment, you might even want to think about firing your current contractor if they're not meeting standards.
All floor joists are technically load-bearing, so you should definitely approach this with caution. A general rule is to avoid notching deeper than 1/6th of the joist’s height or wider than 1/3rd. If you’re dealing with a standard 2x10 joist, be careful with any cuts. They really ought to sister the joists on either side of it if they’re making a notch; otherwise, you risk sagging floors and possible water damage later on. You might want to insist on an engineering drawing to confirm that the work they're doing is structurally sound.
I was told no permits were needed by the restoration company. They made it seem like emergency repairs were a must because of the leak, and it’s just been a huge hassle since then. Mostly because they asked for a $4,000 deposit right up front. This whole thing has turned into a nightmare for me, especially since it’s my first renovation experience.