Holy rot!

workingonit

So Ive been in my house for some 4 years and I recently just decided to check the basement framing and along the front of my house the sil and exterior wall is rotted so much that you can put your finger and see light? WTF!! So recently fixed an exterior wall on the back of my house that was rotted due to a leaky window. Its along most of the front of my house. Now heres my question(s)

Where do I start should I rip the siding down and start rebuilding? the floor joist seem fine?

Is this over my head(probably ha ha)

I was able to patch a section of rot in the rear reframe and so on. At this point I am thinkiing its just a small section of the bottom that needs to be replaced but could it be more yes.

The POS who owned it before me must have known becuase he made sure to cover it with insulation.

Any insight to where to begin or should I just get my $$ up? I plan on redoing the siding anyways so I think its a good start now more than later. BTW its about 40 feet in length on the front.

Would i need a permit for this?


sorry for being all over the place any helps appreciated!

Scuba_Dave

Pics ?

Why did it rot ?
Poor drainage, dirt against the house ?
Reg wood (old house) or PT ?

workingonit

I can get some pics up in the next few days. Basically the dirt was against most of the house as well as poor drainage (no gutters) The joist seem fine (I hope ) I am willing to be they didnt use pressure treated as well. This stuff crumbled like you wouldnt believe. I wouldnt think that would be the case to pressure treated wood. My house was built in 1954 ranch. Basically in the two sections I checked without going gung hoe on the siding I was able to stick a finger from the basement and feel the siding. I got a company coming out to revinyl my house so thats what lead to the inquiry. Scuba know of any good framers in the area? I am right outside of portsmouth 45 from boston.

I was able to patch up a smaller section in the rear of my house myself but I dont konw if its okay to do the whole house myself. I just dont want to get in over my head.

oh'mike

WORKINGONIT--Call you siding outfit right away---They may have a carpenter that could help.

If you know the siding is going to be replaced soon---Why not open it up from the outside and see how bad the damage is.

A local lumber yard is often a good source to find a carpenter. You will be able to get a better estimate from who ever comes out --if they can see the extent of the damage--and not just guess.

---Mike--

rosco

workingonit -
i'll suggest getting three quotes from companies at least listed on the BBB. BBB is extortion but they do keep track of complaints. this will give you an idea of cost. the problem i had in getting quotes is they all knew i had no idea what i was talking about (cement slabs) so i heard more BS than truth. yeah, if you post pic's here and give an idea of what your plan is, you should know if the project is too big.

i lived in Peabody and surfed in Hampton so i passed through your town a lot. in that area you'll need to add in the damage done by the salt, harsh winters and very wet soil. esp. the salt.

Great luck in this. ..... hey, i'm thinking you could swing by "the wall" and ask around for a person who does that kinda work. there is a surf shop on south side of Hampton and i know some guys hang out there. some of them i know to do this type of work and might take your's when there aren't any big swells. Ha!

cocobolo

Hi working...one of the problems with this sort of repair is that anyone who comes to look at it honestly will not be able to see the extent of the damage just by looking.

This often leads to one of two situations...

Firstly, the estimate you get will be either really high or secondly, too low to be true. Often, when that is the case, the low estimate ends up costing you more because of all the extras the contractor manages to find.

It isn't necessarily all his fault, but if he is good with lots of experience, he should have a pretty good idea of what he will find.

Perhaps you should have a quick chat with the siding company (why aren't you doing this yourself?) and get them to hold off until...

1. You have determined the extent of the damage

2. What will be necessary to repair it and

3. Will you do it yourself or contract the job out?

I think if I were you I would be willing to put some considerable effort into checking out all the damage as fully as possible. In the long run this will save you both time and money.

Whether or not you need a permit I don't know. But my advice to you is to see if you can get an inspector from your town to come out and have a look. Many times they are incredibly helpful. They aren't there to badger you to death. Most of them are pretty good people. In your case I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

Up here, technically speaking, our code says any repair over $25 needs a permit! I think that was probably written when Christopher Columbus arrived! Realistically, if there are no alterations, and exactly the same thing is going back, we don't need a permit here. If it is a structural repair, which yours may well be, then yes, it's permit time.

How about if you post as many pics as possible and then you can get some guidance here before you spend a fortune.

With all the expertise available here, we may be able to get you headed in the right direction.