Fixing Rotted Floor Girder

When replacing rotted floor joists it s important to be sure the girder and sill are still intact.

Fixing rotted floor girder. Sagging floors doors that won t close and cracks that appear in interior walls can be symptomatic of a more serious problem. Other clues about the floor damage included discolored flooring mold along the wall and lots of opportunity for water leaks with washer toilet and water heater. If your floor systems is damaged affordable foundation home repairs can offer free advice on how we repair your home. Deteriorating floor joists posts or beams can be caused by termite infestation water damage or dry rot.

We offer an encapsulation system that keeps water away from your crawl space and protects the structural integrity of your floor system we also offer steel floor supports. It s easier and much cheaper to prevent rot rather than fix it. Stepping through the floor was not the first hint that it had rotted out but it sure moved the floor repair up on the priority list for a house with plenty of remodel projects to do. Support the floor joists and or any concentrated loads the girder carries with jacking timbers set under the joists on both sides of the girder.

You may have undersized support beams support posts that are rotting and losing their structural integrity or undersized post footings that are settling. If only a few joists are rotted primarily at the bottom they can be repaired using a process known as sistering after the rot is cleaned away and the timber treated to prevent more problems a new joist is laid beside the old. The following steps will help keep the wood in your house dry so fungi don t have a chance to set up shop. Checking joists is easier if you have a basement or crawl space foundation because the joists are exposed.

Once in place the floor can be jacked up in an attempt to lift the floor back to a level position. Seal all cracks. If joists or floorboards are nailed into the beam cut the nails with a reciprocating saw before you try to remove the beam. Girder and joist jacks also known as steel lally columns can be installed at key locations along the structure.