I’m on a house where non-PT lumber was used everywhere for sill plates, needs to be replaced.
Before I cut it all out, I know there are high solids penetrating epoxy products but I have never used them.
Is there any method such as epoxys that you have used that
(a) provides as reliable a solution as replacing the sill plate with PT wood
(b) will be more cost effective.
Engineered materials and vacuum-press laminations prevent warping and keep a tall, flush-panel door from being excessively heavy.
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Replies
Aren't those products geared more towards stabilizing and preserving non-structural wood, like irreplaceable trim on historic buildings or the like?
Sill plates transfer wind (and seismic, location depending) loads from the exterior walls to the foundations. Patching them with epoxy doesn't sound like it'd be a sure thing. Better to replace the rotted sill plates, particularly if the house is in a high-wind or active seismic zone.
Is the sill rotten? You may have an approved wood in place already. Can you determine the species? Code does allow for other woods, but need to confirm w/ your code authority. Heartwood of cedar, redwood, black locust and black walnut are allowed in my region. If you have one of these woods you’ll be alright. Black locust is basically a ditch tree where I’m from and I can say it performs just as well or better than treated for most applications.
Epoxies definitely have there place, but I don’t know of any epoxy being used for sill plate.
I’ll probably catch grief for saying this, but if your home is older than15 yrs and no rot has occurred with standard lumber being used on the sill, you’re probably safe to leave it. If your conditions and environment haven’t rotted lumber by now, they’ll probably be fine for a very long time. I’ve remodeled tons of homes w/ standard lumber used on sill to find it just as dry and clean as a new board. On some of the really old homes the joists were laid into the foundation walls with brick and they are still surprisingly dry and rot free.
Since you suggest epoxy It implies you have found rot, but how much? If it's in a few places where specific problems caused it and you can remedy those problems, then you probably could get away with a patch such as epoxy. But you have to have dry wood and use a thin penetrating epoxy first before applying any thicker stuff.
If the problem is bigger you're better off replacing the plate with treated wood. Epoxy ain't cheap and requires strict attention to details.
jlyda has it right, if there's no rot. But your mention of epoxy does suggest that there is rot. Look on Abatron's website. They have some structural applications, but mostly epoxy is used for non-structural purposes.
Just want to add that I have used Abatron's epoxy many times and it is structurally stronger than wood. That said I agree that it is only cost-effective in spots. Another factor to consider is whether there is any evidence of termite damage. If so time for treatment around entire perimeter. Active Termites can easily hide between sill and foundation.
there is dry rot and it is spf, just there is a lot and a fair amount is radius, pain in the butt to replace.
None load bearing which is why I hoped to find an easier solution, but out it comes.
How is sill plate non bearing?
there are plates under all walls whether they are bearing or not unless you only use "sill" for foundation walls, which I do not - I consider bottom plate and sill plate synonomous
but call it bottom plate if you prefer
I am still confused because what you call bottom plates ARE load bearing on exterior walls and interior wall plates, which also could be load bearing, are not likely to rot unless on a slab house.
The sill plate or mudsill is the wood member that sits on the foundation, joining it to the floor framing. (In garages and similar structures where a masonry wall rises above the slab floor, I believe the bottom plate of the wall can also be called a mudsill). Code requires sill plates or mudsills to be rot resistant. Bottom plate refers specifically to the member wall studs bear on, which normally rests atop the subflooring. In most cases, this is not rot resistant.