I just recently acquired a summer place on a inlake lake. I knew it had some repair issues but I just encountered my first “major” obstacle. I am hoping somone can give me some ideas on how to handle this challenge!
In trying to investigate a soft bathroom floor, I found rotten wood around a stool simply sitting on a piece of galvanized, and termite damage to the 2×8 floor joists. This space was a 20×20 addition done to the main structure in 1979. They simply put up a block foundation with joist pockets and ran 20′ 2×8 the entire width. They also put a wood sleeper beam of three 2×6’s under the middle of the span. None of the material was protected. As you can imagine, the insects have gotten both. There is virtually no crawl space (maybe 6″ at best) under the bottom of the existing beams. I haven’t been able to get close enough yet to the outside wall to see how big the beam pockets are to see if sleepers can work.
Other than a wrecking ball or a match is there any hope? Any repair techniques are appreciated!
Replies
Denny, I suppose there are interior walls sitting on and perpendicular to the floor joists? Joists and beam how bad?
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Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Yes there are perpendicular walls. One is the center wall. I have not been up in the attic to tell if there is any rafter load on it.
The joists are sagging a good 2 inches in this particular spot. The tops of the joist closet to the stool were bad on the top, the other joists I could reach from the hole I cut in floor, the other two joists were bad on the bottom. The sleeper joist beam was split and dropped in at least tow spots that I could see with my 17"x90" hole in the floor. I realize that I will have to spend some time and money to repair if it is possible. My concern is getting access to them and being able to raise the structure enough to get the new joists in place. Is that possible with virtually no crawl space?
This job could get messy. One of the problems with termites is that they have no set pattern of infiltration once they get a foothold and the degree of destruction will be difficult to gauge until you start demolition and inspection. With just 6 inches of crawl space your repairs will most likely come from above, necessitating removal of finished (if there is any) flooring and subflooring and then the detailed inspection and removal of the damaged joists and support beam. I think you will be finding one thing after another from your original point of entry until your get all the way to the perimeter of the structure. Part of your inspection will also be the plates and studs of the structure, especially around windows and doors. Moisture, which termites (mostly) need to survive unless they bring their own thru the tubes is often present due to leaks and leaks occur at windows and doors and termites have a field day and free lunch. Unfortunately, if the damage that you CAN see when you pop the floor is substantial, your best bet is to start pulling sheetrock or trim and sheathing to finish a proper inspection for those sneaky critters.
If you're fortunate enough to have the damage confined to the beams and joists then I forsee needing some method of supporting the exterior walls and the interior partition(s) as you remove all the flooring, then the joists and then the beam, and using TREATED members for ALL replacement. Your structure is way to close to the ground to use anything but treated. It will not be worth the effort and aggravation to attempt a piecemeal repair through a hole here and a hole there.
As you go along with the demolition, be sure to clean up all the rotten and cut wood that you find under the structure (think termite food). And, after all the structural repairs and replacements are finished, but before you place the floor sheathing, get a pest control company out to treat the ground under the house.
Piece o' cake. Have fun, post updates and photos.
How much money and sweat do you want to dump into it?
How attached are you to the current finish floor?
No matter what, I don't think you have any simple options.
The current floor is bad in several spots. I had planned to replace much of the floor. There are several interiors walls in the way. I realize this won't be easy and it will probably cost a buck or two to repair but given the alternative of ripping down the structure and starting over it probably is still cheaper. I am concerned about any other damage that I am not able to see.