Securing Load-Bearing Columns

Project: Lifespan House, Episode 4, Part 3



General contractors Kevin and Betsy Kalman update Bob on the progress made so far. Masons are hard at work constructing the fireplace, a special Superior Clay Rumford Firebox. Outside, Bob and Jeff Davis (from Chadsworth Columns) oversee the installation of new columns along the porch. Back inside, the finishing touches are being put on the Rumford firebox.
Part 1: Building a Rumford Fireplace
Part 2: Reviewing the Home's Framing
Part 3: Securing Load-Bearing Columns
Installers tie steel straps down to the band joists in order to secure the load-bearing columns newly installed on the porch. These steel straps are threaded through the columns to prevent uplift during a hurricane. The columns themselves are hollow, but are made of marble dust and polymers that ensure they are strong and capable of bearing the load.
Part 4: Installing the Fireplace Throat and Flue
Bob Vila heads to the Low Country: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Steeped in tradition, this historic suburb of Charleston is the scene, not only of a remarkable new home, but of a remarkable transformation in suburban living at the developing community of I'On.

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