guys,
a customer wants me to repair the dry rot on the end of joists that can be seen from bellow. the joist extends 3 ft from the exterior wall. the dry rot only goes about a max of 1 foot on 3 of the 5 joists. the balcony is 5 ft wide
how does one know when to replace vs repair
can this be repaired without opening the stucco wall
most of the work I do is interior, I am taking on this job because I need work, your advise is appreciated
Al
Listeners write in about running a profitable contracting business and ask questions about patching drywall, adding air barriers, and fixing a patio poured against the house.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
I'm thinking if you even need to ask this question you should stick to "interior work"
That said, if the dry rot is more than a TINY amount, they need to be replaced, through the stucco
You may have some luck with the MinWax brand "wood consolidator" soaking into the rotten fibers, and then using their Bondo-like filler, if you're confident it's not a structural issue.
Forrest
I use tons of that stuff , and epoxies too, but this does not sound cosmetic to me. Sounds like structural that needs replacement.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
No problem at all. Maybe a bit of Liquid Nails for good luck. I mean, what's the big deal? Only 33% of the joist is rotted, and how many people could you fit on a 3x5 balcony ... probably not more than half a ton. So, is your insurance paid up?
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
psssst...Eddie,You are dripping;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Your question could have been asked better, but is perfectly legit re: when is the rot too much? As a DIY'er, I've been in your shoes and scratched my head wondering, staring at the money pit.
If the rot is at the top of the cantilevered joist going back a foot, maybe an inch down, then maybe it can be salvaged by sistering a new joist. Others here would know better than me.
But if the last 1/3 of 3 of the joists is totally rotted, how can it possibly be repaired other than by replacing?
If the stucco has to be opened, then maybe it's time for the customer to consider removing the cantilevers permanently and use those Maine brackets that were in the mag a few months back. http://deckbracket.com/index.html. But that will involve posts for the deck as well.
I just removed a cantilevered deck this summer. The rot was both at the end of the joists and as it exited the house. 40 years will do that to floor joists exposed to the elements. I'll be using those Maine brackets when we rebuild the deck.
I would feel a need to look very seriously at replacing a rot memeber anytime the rot extended a quarter inch into it.The problem with rot, is that you rarely see how far it has gone until you start cutting. Often, the surface is fine and the rot is immediately behind what appears OK visibly. Rot at end can extend another two feet along the grain inside the board.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Good point, which is why I always defer to the Tauton University profs.
Btw, did you notice the irony in FastEddie's tag line? ROAR!! I missed it on the first read-thru!
What irony?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Stop it, you're killing me. ;)
please explain sistering a joist
sistering = attaching a joist to the old one, doubling it.
Got any pcitures of this job? Sounds like a cantilevered deck which are usually major PITAs to repair correctly or replace.
thank you for such a lucid response to my vague post.
you are correct the dry rot does appear to be more cosmetic; however,
i will no for sure until i start working on the job.. you sure are right about the PITA aspect