Why does load distribution always trip me up?

If I see anything structural that looks sketchy, I stop patching and fix it right. No point saving a few bucks if the floor caves in later. For cosmetic stuff or old weird repairs that aren’t hurting anything, I’ll sometimes leave it - depends on how much risk you’re willing to take. If you’re losing sleep over it, probably time to just do it right and move on. I’ve learned the hard way that shortcuts usually come back to bite you... sometimes literally, like when I found a squirrel nest in a “patched” ceiling.

Yeah, I get what you mean about not wanting to risk it with structural stuff. I’m always second guessing myself when it comes to load distribution - like, I’ll stare at a beam and wonder if it’s really doing its job or just pretending. I’ve watched a ton of YouTube videos but it still feels like black magic sometimes. I guess it’s better to overbuild than underbuild, but then I worry about wasting money or making things worse. Ever feel like you’re just one wrong screw away from disaster?

I’ll stare at a beam and wonder if it’s really doing its job or just pretending.

Story of my life with this old house. Half the beams here are original, and I swear some look like they’re held up by hope. I usually err on the side of caution, but yeah, overbuilding gets expensive fast. I’ve learned to trust my gut but still call in a pro when things look sketchy. Sometimes you just need that second set of eyes.