Help!!!

gibson981 · 05-03-2011, 12:22 PM

Check out these pictures. This is my kitchen floor at the back door. There was a sagging spot, so I cut a hole in the floor to find this. It looks like I have rim joist and sill plate issues. What is the best way to fix this? I am very low on carpentry skills. So, break it down for me. Thanks for any advice.

gibson981 · 05-03-2011, 03:42 PM

I took the dor out now. it turns out that the sill plate and the rim joist were both completely rotted out. The rot goes a little bit past the door frame on both sides. Seems like I might be in some real trouble here. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this whole thing? How do I repair the sill plate and rim joist?

Ron6519 · 05-03-2011, 05:32 PM

What you doo depends on what wall the door is on. If it's load bearing, you would have to support the load before removing the damaged wood. If there are floor joists resting on the bad area, they would also need to be supported.
The siding would need to be removed from the house in the area.The area effected will be twice what you think it is.
The photos are a little too close. Can you back up a bit so we can see it from 3 feet or so away?
Do you have a basement under this or just a crawlspace?
Ron

timthetoolman · 05-04-2011, 04:03 AM

Wow. This sure is some serious rot here. Find out what caused it's deterioration. Water penetration from door? Carpenter ants love moisture and leave tiny tunnels in the wood. Stop this problem. It could also likely be the amount of time this piece of lumber has been in contact with concrete. Wood soaks up moisture from concrete like a sponge. That's why we have pressure treated lumber now-a-days. Anyways I won't go above ron's suggestions, because he seems like a smart guy!
All I can say it is, the rim bears the weight of the exterior wall above, which supports the weight of whatever is above it. For someone with limited carpentry experience, ya might not wanna try to tackle this.