How to straighten my boathouse?

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Like Eddie said, I fear that the warped wood would only want to return back to its warped condition after any force is applied to it.
Getting it to stay in a straightened position, will be tough. I'm wondering if a major de- construction might be an option. Possibly as far as even taking off the entire roof system, plywood and everything to get back to the original shell. Then put it all back together again after straightening.

 

[check]

If it was me, and I'm not recommending you do this, but think about the principles involved and it may help you devise a plan for yourself....

I'd first measure the distance between the two side walls at the top where the ceiling joists meet the walls to get the width measurement that you want to achieve between the walls at the bottom.

Then I'd put cables with turnbuckles between the sidewalls at the bottom of the walls. Don't know how many it would take. But better to use more to get an even pull than fewer and risk cracking. You might be able to work from back to front, also, slowly pulling the sides closer like a zipper.

Then I'd tighten the turnbuckles a couple turns every few days to pull the bottoms of the walls towards each other until they are the same measurement as you got when you measured the distance between the walls at the top. This could take days or longer, but I'd go slow. Wouldn't want to crack the wall studs or bottom sill plate, etc... Heck, it might not work at all as it took years to get bent. So pay attention to cracking and things like that. May require replacement of studs, removal of cross bracing, etc... which could lead to building collapse. You have to make sure the sill isn't fastened to the cribbing before you start tightening. Don't know if you can to just unfasten one wall from the cribbing and leave the other fastened to the cribbing or not. Probably depends how bad the walls are out of kilter. But you get the idea that you want to end up with two parallel walls top and bottom. Then fasten the sill plates back to the cribbing. And finally put several temporary braces across the bottom between the walls to keep the distances from changing during the next step.

So once the walls are parallel to each other, you have to make them at 90 degree angles to the ceiling joists.

This would require cables from the top of one corner of a wall where it meets the ceiling, down to the bottom corner of the opposite wall. You'd put the cables high on the wall that's leaning out and low on the wall that's leaning in. Again, don't know how many cables it would take. But you get the idea. Start tightening the turnbuckles a few turns at a time. It should bring the building back towards square. Once it's square, put in triangular gussets between the side walls and ceiling joists to keep it square.

Here's a link to a video that does something similar but for the leaning front-back angle. Same principle, just a smaller building.

Actually, Moss, the bottom of each wall is really easy to move back-and-forth. All you have to do is hit it with a sledgehammer. The problem is that the top does not move with the bottom, so that as I move the bottom over I’m just making more of a lean.

This is how far over I have to go:



If you look close, you can see the marking pen mark that I marked on top of the last 2 6x 6’s.

 

[check]

No earthquakes here, Cat. The existing crib is in good shape, now that I have replaced the top five or six layers of the old cedar Crib. And as I told Moss, I can move the bottom of those walls with just a sledgehammer, because I haven’t nailed them down to the crib members just yet. The real problem is that the top won’t move and so if I hit a sidewall over all I’m doing is adding to the lean.

 

[MossRoad]

Actually, Moss, the bottom of each wall is really easy to move back-and-forth. All you have to do is hit it with a sledgehammer. The problem is that the top does not move with the bottom, so that as I move the bottom over I’m just making more of a lean.

This is how far over I have to go:

View attachment 604504

If you look close, you can see the marking pen mark that I marked on top of the last 2 6x 6’s.

You have to get the bottoms where you want them first. Put one in position and lock it down to the cribbing. Then pull the bottom of the other wall in with cables (or your hammers) until they are the distance you need them to be apart. Then lock the other wall down to the cribbing and put temporary ties between the two walls at the bottom to keep them from spreading or narrowing. Once the bottom of the walls are in the proper position, THEN work on making the building square with diagonal cables.

 

[airbiscuit]

You have to get the bottoms where you want them first. Put one in position and lock it down to the cribbing. Then pull the bottom of the other wall in with cables (or your hammers) until they are the distance you need them to be apart. Then lock the other wall down to the cribbing and put temporary ties between the two walls at the bottom to keep them from spreading or narrowing. Once the bottom of the walls are in the proper position, THEN work on making the building square with diagonal cables.

I agree. Slow and steady with cables is preferred over big @$%^ hammers.

 

[jmc]

Glad you're saving it. People on some of the lakes down here find out after they tear a boathouse down, new regulations won't let them replace it. They say that they shoulda left a few original timbers in place and "rebuilt" it...

Anyway, if the sides move but the top doesn't, I wonder if it's bolted down, or in a bind, near the shoreline. If so, you might have to loosen that first. Hard to tell much from pictures.

 

[jaxs]

As I understand,the building is 100 years old and no longer square and plumb. Not suprising since it's been sitting over water all that time but here's the solution(s). Pray it was built square and plumb to begin with then, #1. Level the support system. #2. Measure distance between walls at top at both ends. Ends must be same or building can never be square and plumb. #3. Pull both sets of diagonal corners equal distance apart and lock them in place. #4. Use string or straight edge to confirm all frame members are straight and equal length of their mates. Replace any that are out of spec. #5. If building isn't now plumb and square,it's time to begin pulling (no beating). In addition to cable pullers(come-a-longs) a few turnbuckle rods will be handy and can be move around as work progresses. #6. In the interest of saving time,cut triangular plywood templates. One 90* right triangle for stud-ceiling joist intersection,stud-bottom plate intersection and stud-top plate intersection. One with angle of rafter to rafter at peak. One with angle of rafter to ceiling joist. After a wall is square,re-nailing siding should hold it but 1x8 diagonals are good insurance. Chances are the roof will leak as result of all the re-positioning so striping it and re-nailing after squared might be a good thing. I think it look's interesting. If it were mine,I would reinforce to prevent collapse then just injoy it.

 

[/pine]

Have you determined the actual dimensions of the original structure?...have you set up plumb bobs using gauge blocks (to hold it off the building enough to be clear of the siding) in both directions on all the corners?...this is a good way to actually see what needs to move where...

As others have cited...eye bolts, cables and turnbuckles are the ticket if the top of the frame needs to be moved...

 

[ch1ch2]

Some very good suggestion so far.

I hate to read a post where the person offering the advice knows nothing of what they are talking about.
So here is my uneducated advice of which I know nothing about.
Float it, put in new foundation that does not move when you hit it with a hammer. Sit it back down on the new foundation and make the above water adjustments you want and need using the new solid foundation as a fixed pivot point.

 

[MossRoad]

Some very good suggestion so far.

I hate to read a post where the person offering the advice knows nothing of what they are talking about.
So here is my uneducated advice of which I know nothing about.
Float it, put in new foundation that does not move when you hit it with a hammer. Sit it back down on the new foundation and make the above water adjustments you want and need using the new solid foundation as a fixed pivot point.

I think he said the cribbing is the foundation and it doesn't move. He's hitting the walls with a hammer to move them around on the cribbing. He's gotta get the bottom of the walls square on the cribbing in the horizontal plane (parallel to the water) first, then adjust the lean of the walls with some method, be it cables, come-alongs, turnbuckles, chains, jacks, etc...

It'll be interesting to see what comes of it. Sure is a neat looking boathouse. :thumbsup: