Posts: 58
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Joined: Jun 2013
Hi all,
Any experience out there with raising the height of a home on stilts? If a home is on stilts/pillars already but not as high as current code (grandfathered), is it possible to raise the home to current code height? Thank you for any feedback!
T
Posts: 1,955
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Joined: Aug 2005
Don't believe there is a minimum height of posts. But to make it complaint with new code your going to need sheer wall corners, at the least.
Posts: 1,522
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No minimum height except for anything over 4 feet, I believe, counts as a floor and engineered plans are required for shear wall design. You could try to get plans approved by shearing everything with 1/2 inch plywood nailed 6 inches on the edge, and 12 inches in the field with minimum openings, as the area below a window, for example does not count, and is considered a break in the shear wall.
An example wall,would be four feet shear, window 3 feet wide, 12 feet shear, anchor bolts every 4 feet. Stairway wall if perpendicular would be converted to a shear wall,as well if house is over 25 feet in length.
Again, this is an example only, as I am not a qualified engineer, but have built, and inspected enough following their plans to give one an idea what they are up,against.
Community begins with Aloha
Posts: 8,464
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These days you will likely need engineering calcs.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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It can be done (jacks or hoists are used to raise structure & new pillars installed), wether the structure is worth it is another ??? Most of the time when you do a major update (this might count) you will need to bring the entire structure up to code...
Based on you minimum height statement, are you also within shoreline flood (tsunami) area?? if so, the height requirement might be the least of the con-compliances....
CZM requirements are pretty extensive....
