Screened porch addition

[vholbert]

I'm building a screened porch attachment to my home. The gabled roof (stick built with structural ridge beam) will be hipped directly into an existing roof in a T arrangement (new roof ridge perpendicular to existing). The existing exterior wall where one end of the new structural ridge beam will attach has a series of windows (four, to be exact) directly below the location where the new ridge beam will fall. Question: how do I carry the load of the new ridge beam to either side of the windows and on to the existing exterior wall without compromising the existing wall's structural integrity nor the rafters of the existing roof?

[Cole]

Can you draw a sketch?

[vholbert]

Actually, I just talked to the contractor and got my answer. Because the structural ridge beam of the addition will fall over the windows on the existing exterior wall, the contractor will actually add another microlam beam above the roof of the existing roof and post it down on either end to the window wall jacks on either side of the windows. This allows the load of the structural ridge beam of the addition to be carried down the kings on either side of the window (which are already carrying the header load from the windows) rather than trying to carry this load on the existing header. Make sense?

[Cole]

Yes.

[vholbert]

I guess I would like reassurance that the exterior wall will carry the extra load, but I suppose a structural engineer would be needed to answer that. Also, the foundation in that area has been repaired in the past (prior to us owning the home) for cracks that apparently leaked water. We have had no issues since we have lived here, the cracks are sealed and dry, and there is no evidence of settling (no cracks in the drywall and no offset in the basement wall). There is a crack in the mortar joint of the bricks on the outside of the house, but is looks relatively minor. Something I should be concerned about?

[giddonah]

If you've been there for a few years and nothing has shifted, then I wouldn't worry about it. Cracks and leaks are more common than we would like, but it doesn't mean something is unsafe. If you're going with an engineer, you could ask him about it too, but I wouldn't worry about some fixed cracks if it hasn't moved in years.

[vholbert]

Giddonah, thanks for your reply. It has been completely dry in the two years we've lived there and no other signs of movement other than the ones I've already listed...the cracks in the brick mortar joints. Your reply is reassuring. Incidentally, the microlam beam that the contractor will be installing above my existing roofline (that will carry the load of the new ridge beam to either side of the existing exterior wall windows) will have one end bearing on the foundation at a point where there is a basement window and hence only 6-8" of concrete, the window, and then the rest of the basement wall. Will this be an issue?

[giddonah]

I think that might be an issue to bring up with the engineer. It may not cause problems initially, but it may do something over time.