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How many sisters is legal?
#1
So I'm up in the attic of what used to be a garage but which I want to call an art studio. The skylight is in -- I had the roofers do it. Now there's the small matter of making it illuminate more than the attic. So I've cut a 6 X 6 foot hole in the ceiling, and next I need to build what's called a light shaft.

The problem is, there's a horizontal beam in the way. It connects opposing rafters, and it's clearly meant as a support. Now, according to everything I've read, if I'm intending to move that support, I should first supply temporary support. I mean, that only makes sense. Still, I found myself asking what seemed a very reasonable question at the time:

What would Greg do?

So I grabbed a hammer and screwdriver and clawed and pried at the support until it popped loose. I waited a moment and -- son of a gun -- I was okay. So I took it one set of rafters over, where it'd be out of the way, and I hammered it back into place. Of course, I don't have any nails, so I used the old ones, which were bent all the fuck up. But still, with patience, I got them in just far enough to hold. Then I hammered them over flat. The board's a bit rickety, but it's holding.

Next on the agenda: There's two joists running through the 6 X 6 foot opening I cut in the ceiling. I could leave them, but wouldn't it be prettier if I cut them out? And no, I'm no idiot. I've read enough to know that this will weaken the plasterboard ceiling, and that what I gotta do first is double up the joists to either side by adding a sister joist to each.

The problem is, these are 15 foot joists! I was planning on getting lumber no bigger than 8 feet, because that's all that will fit in my truck. Okay, it's not a truck; it's a Prius. But 8-foot lumber will fit nicely in a Prius. Won't it? Sure it will.... (stayed tuned on that).

But here's what I got to thinking. Maybe I could use two sisters per joist -- each 7.5 feet long. Then I could sister these two sisters with another that's 8 feet long. In fact, one could expand on this approach pretty much indefinitely and build a very interesting bridge across the bay. The only question I have is, How many sisters is legal?

Okay, there's one other question I have, but I think you've already guessed what it is.

--cranefly
I'm nobody's pony.
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#2
Greg would hire a crew of crack carpenters.

Or he would frame out the hole by making a box.
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit
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#3
If that building burns down will the insurance company rebuild the whole thing for you? Just a thought.
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