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I had an aunt who lived in a house that was built in 1923 and its detached garage was also built in 1923. I am in the process of fixing up both this house and the garage before the house is put for sale on the housing market.

All the outer walls of the garage are brick, and all four walls look solid, I have not found any major cracks or bowing in these walls and the garage floor still looks to be in good condition. There is a 8" x 8" x 8' wooden vertical post that is supporting a 12" x 8" x 17' wooden support beam, which is made up of two pieces (this is shown in the third picture below).

One end of this support beam rests on top of a brick support built up along one wall of the garage, and the other end of the support beam rests on top of an interior brick wall, which separates the garage into two sections. I'm not sure what kind of wood was used for the post and for the support beam.

There are some cracks that run down the middle of this vertical post (see pictures below), and these cracks are wider towards the bottom of the post. I am wondering if these cracks are a sign that the whole post has been splitting apart over time and that it is no longer structurally sound. If so, I am wondering if this means that the structural integrity of the whole garage is no longer structurally sound, and if this means that the garage cannot be sold as is.

The pictures below shows the vertical post and the support beam from different angles. The two arrows in the first picture point out the cracks that I am concerned with.

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Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this 100-year-old garage?

Also, if this vertical post needs to be replaced, I am curious about what kind of company/contractor that I will need to hire to replace this post, or perhaps just to reinforce it. I am a computer technician by trade so I know very little about the home/garage construction business and who specializes in making these types of repairs.

3 Answers3

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That beam and post seem to be quite oversize/built for what is needed. The cracks are not that worrying.

The electrical cables on that post will probably need some work.

Cables should have protection below eight feet, usually conduit or inside of walls/protection.

crip659
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(Speaking from a UK perspective.)

That kind of natural splitting is quite normal for wooden support beams in my experience. Character is usually what it's ascribed to.

Looking towards the roof, it does not appear to be carrying a significant load.

You might make a pre-emptive probe for rot by poking with a screwdriver blade at the base and top. If it's rotten, it'll be quite soft, and that would need attention. But from the picture, it looks dry and sound.

A general builder would be able to replace if you did need/want to. A structural engineer could affirm whether replacement is needed. But to be honest, if you're selling, then you might be better off waiting to see if the buyer's survey (or US equivalent) reveals anything. If it's significant, then you might get your own estimate, then either offer to fix up or simply knock off the equivalent from the sale price and save you the effort. Personally, I'd baulk at anything more than the cost of the post plus a day's labour.

dentarthurdent
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From your pictures that garage is built incredibly strong. The size of the beams and everything looks like over-kill. It looks like nothing could take that down. I would love to have a garage built that strong. The size of those beams could hold thousands of pounds.

gnicko
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Dan
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