CorrectAlias

I tried to look this up but everything seems to be related to exterior load bearing walls..

A month or so ago, we noticed a good amount of water coming through the concrete porch into our basement. This portion of the 1940's basement below the porch used to be a garage, and sometime in the 90's (according to dates on portions of the sheetrock) they put in a wall where the garage entry was to expand the living space. I don't think this was load bearing when they put in the wall.

It seems like this leak was happening in 2017 as well, since new sheetrock was added and they tried to fix it with spray foam (which is obviously not water tight and did not fix the problem).

Anyway, I ended up ripping off the sheetrock to see the damage. All four sides of the framed wall are at least partially rotted, with the top and bottom plates completely compromised on the corners. This means that I should probably replace the entire wall, which would be "easy" if it wasn't load bearing..

However, over time and possibly accelerated with water intrusion, the concrete above has a long, horizontal crack which may go through both sides. The crack doesn't line up perfectly on both sides, but it's definitely possible that it's cracked all the way through. If that's the case, it means that this wall has now become load bearing, possibly holding up a portion of the porch above.

My thinking is that I could get a jack post (or a bottle jack and 4x4 post), put it in the middle, and then build framing on both sides with pressure treated 2x6s. Then I could remove the jack, and attach blocking between the two portions of new framing.

The other, more expensive but safer option would include talking to a structural engineer. I got a quote from one, and he wanted $900 to come take a look. I can afford it, I suppose, although I'm worried that he'll end up telling me what I already know.

Pictures below. Note that this is concrete on all 4 sides, and that the drywall has now been removed from both sides.

Here's the wall:

And here's the crack on one side:

Fifty members of Congress, including several Washington Democrats, are calling on the Department of Homeland Security for answers after two crew members fighting the Bear Gulch fire were arrested by immigration officials.

Two people fighting the fire on the Olympic Peninsula were arrested by federal law enforcement Wednesday, as depicted in photos and videos. The two firefighters had entered the U.S. illegally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday in a news release.

The 9,200-acre wildfire is one of Washington’s largest. The crews, pictured wearing protective clothing and hard hats common on fire lines, were part of the 300-person effort to contain the fire, which started July 6 about 10 miles northwest of Hoodsport, Mason County.

“The two arrests and dozens of firefighters temporarily sidelined during an active wildfire raise questions about the priorities and (judgment) exercised by federal agencies,” reads the letter, spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Emily Randall. Randall’s congressional district includes the Olympic Peninsula, where the fire is burning.

The lawmakers specifically seek clarification on Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies regarding arrests in disaster areas. The letter claims standard emergency protocols “shield first responders” who are working in hazardous conditions from ICE. The lawmakers say those protocols weren’t followed.

“The arrest of these hardworking crew members, who put their lives on the line to perform lifesaving duties, is not making our communities safer, no matter the rhetoric you use on TV,” the lawmakers said. “The Trump Administration’s thoughtless and cruel immigration enforcement at any cost undermines coordinated emergency response efforts.”

Archive link: https://archive.is/tIXnq