Repairing wood rot at base of beach house 10" x 10" posts

mikebeahn

I'm considering buying a 30 yr. old beach house, and had my inspection yesterday. The house sits up on 20 10" x 10" treated wood posts. Several of the exterior posts are rotting, to the point I could put half my hand into one at ground level.
The advice I've received so far is either to
a) 'sister' a new post to the outside of each exterior post, digging 8ft. down and extending up to the base of the house then bolting to the existing posts OR
b) dig out the rotten wood and fill with epoxy
Frankly, I'm considering both. I'm also considering bracing all 14 exterior posts, not just the 4-6 I've found problems with.
Am I going to far? Should I walk away from this deal?
Thanks!
Mike

Gary in WA

Treated wood will rot unless waterproofed. You need to find the water source..... sistering may not be acceptable with the local Building Department. Epoxy will not work structurally. Hire a Structural Engineer and a soil expert for advice, then a house mover to crib the house while making repairs, then a General Contractor with expertise in piling replacement, after asking the B.D. about similar local cures. You may need new sub-grade footings to meet today's Codes. Possibly steel for the nearby water saturation....

Gary

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