Secret of the Stars

I've often wondered about the purpose of metal stars affixed to many older buildings in and around DC.

Now I know.

From the WaPo...

In older brick buildings, each end of a floor joist sits in a tiny pocket within the masonry wall, a ledge often no more than two inches wide. The walls don't have to bow out very much for the joist to slip out from the pocket.

If that happens, Al said, "the whole floor falls, and the building collapses."

Not good. In fact, so not good that you would do is this: Drill a hole through the brick wall and run an iron rod into a floor (or ceiling) all the way over to the brick wall on the other side. Outside, at the ends of the rod, affix a nut and washer.

You could use a big round washer but wouldn't it be nice to use something a little more decorative, something evocative of our great nation?

Thus, what's often called a "star bolt." Star bolts are usually an afterthought, installed after brick walls have started to flex. They're common in Alexandria, where the soil can be unstable. You can also see them in Georgetown and other older neighborhoods.