[Juyaya]

Hi guys,
We have a rental built in the 1950's that is situated on saturated land. Here are some pictures showing the situation in the crawl space.

As you can see, the ends of the floor joist are all stained. The rim joist and sill plates are also dark. The top plate of the pier foundations looks dark too.

So my question to everyone here is,
1) What's the best way to fix the black sill plate and rim joist?
2) How do I fix the rotted ends of the floor joist resting on the notch in the foundation?


Thanks,
Juju

 

[Juyaya]

Anyone? Please ~

Can anyone tell me what is the cause for the black/stained/wet rim joist and ends of floor joists?

Your help is must appreciated.

Thanks,
Juju

 

[oh'mike]

You have water getting in to the foundation area----so we need a picture from outside of the house---

In a nut shell---the house needs to be lifted enough to remove and replace the rotting sills then each bad joist end needs to be addressed----some times, removing sections of the rim joist will allow a new joist to be slid along side the bad one and 'sistered' to the old joist---

the beam in the foundation pocket is a problem----a new pier may be needed a couple of feet in from the foundation---then a replacement section run from the pier to the pocket---

 

[Fix'n it]

i think you need to have a pro look at it, in person. from those pics, i don't see any rot. all i see is staining. in which case, nothing needs to be done, except to get/keep the wood dry.

also, before having someone look at it. take an electric leaf blower down there and blow the webs loose. be sure to were protection.

 

[fixrite]

I agree with Fix'n it as I too do not see any rot. You should also make sure you have enough ventilation down there as that could be a source of your problem as well.

 

[Juyaya]

Thank you, guys, for all your valuable inputs. Your words of assurance are good to hear. Mom and I were afraid this would be a full-blown "tear-our-house-down" type of project.

Just to reply to oh'mike's post, I have attached some pictures from the outside on link below. (I will not post 2 similar threads again ) Please take a look and let me know if your evaluation has changed with this added info.
http://www.diychatroom.com/f19/what-does-mean-172343/#post1121292

Thanks,
Juju

 

[Fix'n it]

no tear down. but it looks to me that you have a combination of grading problems and exterior leak problems. its also possible (though not likely) that something goofy happened = a large fish tank, washer , or a water bed broke. and you are seeing the resulting staining.

 

[stadry]

maybe you guys have better monitors or dirty spectacles (eyeglasses) :whistling2: but that beam in the pocket certainly looks suspect,,, agree the start should be outside for grading & wtr protection ( swales & proper positive grades ),,, far's ventilation, that runs opposed to current thinking of 'seal up the crawl space & NO ventilation',,, personally i like power vents controlled by a humidistat,,, vapor barrier is certainly suggested( we use stego (not the cheap apron/vest store 6mil blk plastic),,, if that were a broken fish tank, it would've been large enough to float fish the sized of jaws' great white jaws :yes:those stains arelikely from sustained wetness rather than a 1 time fish tank/wtr bed/overflowing tubby

ps - nice supporting splice block :huh:

 

[Juyaya]

Thank you all for the great advice offered here.

To summarize, the only thing that needs to be replaced is the rotted beam ends in the foundation pockets. Dark water stain is okay as long as I keep the wood dry.

My action items should be 1) fix exterior grade to slope away from the house, 2) improve crawl space ventilation by adding power vents, 3) stop exterior leak. Do I fix the exterior leaks by cutting away the bottom of the stucco walls and replacing the paper moisture barrier within? Should I keep a 6" ground clearance? Also, for the water stained areas, should I apply liquid epoxy to consolidate and preserve?


Thanks,
Juju

 

[Juyaya]

Also, is this a valid alternative for fixing the rotted beam ends?

It looks a little easier than adding a new pier and a replacement section from the pier to the pocket. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

 

[stadry]

since you're in pelosi country, you've already got enough problems w/o this house issue :furious:

IF you replace the beam ends, you'll also have to either splice the beam, add a flitch beam, &/or install supporting columns.

agree on the stain issue & keeping wood dry,,, don't forget vapor barrier - its important & part of the whole solution,,, when you finish, there shouldn't be any exterior leaks,,, tyvek will work great.

6" should be fine &, as long as beams are sound, epoxy wouldn't be necessary,,, IF you later determine its desireable, i'd suggest the WEST wood epoxy system as it penetrates & isn't just topical (ebay's a good source )

now go to bed ! :laughing:

 

[oh'mike]

I suggest you look at the deck connection to the house--

I suspect that the ledger board is not flashed correctly and allowing water into the house---

 

[Juyaya]

IF you replace the beam ends, you'll also have to either splice the beam, add a flitch beam, &/or install supporting columns.

Hi itsreallyconc,

Thanks for the options in fixing the beam. What do you think of the method shown in the attached illustration above? We have only about 3' clearance in the crawl space, so I am trying to make this project as easy as possible without compromise the integrity of the structure.

Thanks,
Juju

 

[Juyaya]

I suggest you look at the deck connection to the house--

I suspect that the ledger board is not flashed correctly and allowing water into the house---

Yes, oh'mike, you are absolutely right. I have noticed pretty bad stain/rot along the walls next to the deck. Good thing is we are planning on rebuilding the deck as well.

Thanks,
Juju

 

[joecaption]

Make that deck free standing and no more water will get in.