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Structural Condition Report of 43 Finn Street.docx/ 9 William St, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 (413) 345-9048 - jay@jphbuilding.com Structural Condition Report of 43 Finn Street, Northampton, MA Foundation: About 60% of the house is on the original stone and brick foundation. 40% of the house is newer construction on block foundation. The original house has 2x8 rough sawn hemlock floor joists which span 14 feet in many locations. The joists are notched at the supporting beams so that only the top 3.25” of the joists are bearing weight. The floor joists do not meet the span requirements in the floor joist span table (TABLE R502.3.1(1) in the 2015 IRC and the floors are showing signs of sagging. Wherever work has altered the floor system the construction is not up to code. The floor system in many areas is supported with Teleposts or light weight metal columns with the absence of footings. This is apparent in areas where the house has been adapted to apartments and stairways have been cut into the floor system. In areas where stairs have been added, platforms are built with undersized lumber and stair treads and risers exceed maximum stringer widths. There is zero insulation around the rim board and the first-floor floor box and foundation. In the newer part of the foundation at the rear of the building there are signs of water infiltration and structural failure. There is a large crack in the foundation. And water damage, mold and mildew are present. All the trim on the interior and exterior of the building have tested positive for lead. All the exterior walls are 2x4 construction with minimal insulation. Due to the age of the house and the heavy texture of the popcorn ceiling it strongly suggests the presence of asbestos. The side porches are under built and the joists hang off a ledger that is 2 inches narrower than the joist that hang off it. Most of the handrails do not meet code requirements. The exterior of the house is covered in Transite siding which contains asbestos. The front porch has been heavily modified. The deck of the front porch has been replaced with pressure treated decking. There are four girder bolts holding the new deck to the building through the foundation wall. The bolts do not meet the requirement of the 2015 IRC. The lattice at the deck is pressure treated. The bottom 1/3 of the porch posts have been replaced and the trim at the base of the pots has been modified and does not match the original trim. Above the girder the entire roof system and ceiling of the porch has been replaced. The facia, soffit and crown are new, and the crown does not match the original crown of the house. In short, the tops of the post and the girder are the only remaining part of the original porch. The tops of the posts and girder test positive for lead. There are new stairs that do not meet current code requirements. The Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System Report on this structure states that there are balustrades with an arched pattern and solid spandrels, these details no longer exist. Stick Style Victorian Gable Trim: There are 2 stick style Victorian Gable Trim components to the house. The one facing Finn Street has a rotted horizontal component that is currently laminated with a piece of PVC face screwed to it. The one facing Warfield Place is showing signs of decay and needs to be repaired or replaced. In summary, in order to return 43 Finn Street to a single-family home from the current 4-unit apartment complex, the building will need to be nearly demolished. All the asbestos siding and lead paint will need to be abated in order to create a safe living environment for small children and adults. In order to bring the structure and thermal envelope up to code the building will need to be abated and gutted. The building will then need to be restructured and reframed nearly in its entirety. All the existing mechanicals will need to be updated and replaced. There will need to be steps taken for proper water management, so mold and mildew do not continue to grow in the basement. The retrofit would require new insulation, new windows, new roof, reworking the structural floors, and padding out the exterior walls. After all that work, we will still be stuck on a foundation that has had many repairs and still shows signs of failure. It is my strong recommendation that the building be demolished in its entirety and replaced with a building that meets all the IBC and Mass Amendment Codes.