921 Main Historic Structure Assessment

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DAA JDESIGN ARCH ITECTURE+INTER IORS The primary east -west gable was vaulted in 2023, and it appears that ceiling insulation was added at this time but of an unknown insulation value. The vault is supported by a one -foot -deep ridge beam, exposed on the interior. Skylights in this area indicate that the rafters are approximately one -foot deep, likely 2xl2 rafters sistered to the original rafters, but of unknown spacing. The gable peak is approximately 13'-6" above the finished floor with a spring line of 9'-3". There is a hollow structural steel column exposed in the basement, supported by a concrete footing and connecting to steel above that appears to support the ridge beam. However, the wall finish materials on the main floor prevent confirmation of this assumption. Condition Evaluation: v� Since the roof structure was minimally exposed for analysis, we are unable to give a full condition evaluation at this time. However, it is likely that the roof structure is framed in a similar manner to buildings constructed around the same timeframe in the Louisville area. What is commonly seen on such buildings with gable, hip, and shed roofs is that the ceiling joists and hip beams are undersized and that the rafters are either over - spanned, undersized, or lack proper supports. Furthermore, ceiling joists are often spliced and require a beam or bearing wall support at the splice. It is likely that the vaulted ceiling was built to code standards of 2023 with the exposed ridge beam and supports prescribed by a licensed engineer and new rafters added to meet current code. However, it is impossible to determine any roof construction sizing or methods without further deconstructive investigation of all spaces. Recommendations: The roof and ceiling structure likely do not meet current code standards with the possible exception of the vaulted roof along the north half of the building. Since Louisville did not likely have a building code at the time of construction, we are unable to determine if it was built to a code or engineered. However, it is likely that the original roof is built to a similar standard to other buildings typical of this type and age. All new repairs should be specified by a licensed structural engineer. Repair details should be provided and submitted to the City of Louisville for review and be observed by the engineer and city inspectors during construction. The original roofforms are still apparent from Main Street as seen in the 1940's. 921 MAIN PAGE - 25