There is some termite damage / rot on a beam in my home. The beam has a 10 ft span and is comprised of 2 2x8s sandwiched together. The damage is a 1 foot section in the middle of the beam, on just one of the 2x10s (see photos). I do not see any signs of sagging, but I would like to reinforce it while I have the walls open. What is the best approach for reinforcing this beam? I was thinking of adding a piece of angle iron that spans 4 feet or so, like in this video https://youtu.be/4DYzcyQaNuc?t=350
More details:
The damage to the beam was caused by a roof leak which has been repaired. The beam appears to be toe nailed to the board sheathing (and I assume a stud) on one side and resting on a brick column on the other. It carries the rafters for the gable roof above, which is only about 10×10 in area. Home was built in 1940.
Thanks for your help,
Nick
Replies
I'd replace it all. The termite damage likely extends between the 2 boards in places you can't see. In any case, the angle iron is not an appropriate repair. I assume this is an exterior bearing wall where you don't want to take half measures
Thanks for the response. Replacing it would be my last resort, but I would be open to it if absolutely necessary. How would one support the roof while replacing this beam? This is the eave wall of a gable roofed structure. The overall roof structure is about a 10x10 footprint.
If you’re searching for information online about how to support your roof while replacing a beam, you probably shouldn’t be doing the repair yourself.
You probably have to open up the ceiling to see the structure, and then build a temporary wall to hold the roof while you remove and replace the beam and other structural components.
You may find as you open it up that the rot and damage is limited, or you may not.