Replacing Joists

[Rabmac1]

Hi,

We have just found that we have a damp problem in our basement and have identified the source which I intend to fix this weekend.

The damp has caused some wet rot to occur in the end of the joists. Was wondering how I go about dealing with this problem and make sure the new joists are not affected by the wet brick work while it dries out.

Thanks

 

[Rabmac1]

Sorry for bumping my own post.

Could someone please help me with this.

I have included 2 drawings, the first one is how it looks now.

http://tinypic.com/r/2ui9451/8

Should I put a support under the joist just before the bit I am going to cut away?

Once the support is in place should I just cut away the affected area plus about 1 foot?

The second drawing shows what I think needs done, could you confirm if this is correct:

http://tinypic.com/r/1tx6qg/8

I intend to place the new section side by side with the existing section but extend it much further back and then bolt them both together. Is this the correct way to join the joists?

Also do I need to use a special kind of timber or treat the existing timber?

How do I make sure the joist that touches the wall does not come in contact with the wet brick as it dries out.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://tinypic.com/r/2ui9451/8


http://tinypic.com/r/1tx6qg/8[/QUOTE]

Instead of

 

[Rabmac1]

Could you explain what you mean please.

The first drawing is what it looks like just now and the second picture shows what I think should be done but I don't know if I have it correct as I am new to this but because I got made unemployed I need to do the work myself as I cannot afford to pay someone.

 

[Rabmac1]

Come on, surely someone on here has dealt with this issue before.

Would really appreciate a response from someone.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think your basic idea is sound, but you need someone with more expertise than I to advise on length of overlap, size and spacing of bolts etc.

Is this a suspended floor in the basement, or the floor of the room above? Do you need to worry about replacing the joists before the walls are dry - could you not leave it without a floor for a while? It would dry faster.

 

[Rabmac1]

Thanks very much for responding mate.

The floor in question is in our dining room and underneath is our basement. As me and my family live in the house and need to pass through this room to our kitchen, leaving the floor off is not an option.

Would you suggest I heat the basement or get a dehumidifier?

I suppose I do not need to worry about replacing the joist before the walls are dry as from what I read on the matter, wet rot does not spread fast.

Could you suggest a product or method for protecting the joist. I read that you can use a damp proof membrane but do not know if this is correct or what one is good to use.

Cheers

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You've not said what size the joists are?

Anyway you could utilise a flitch plate between the joists eg a 6mm x height of your joists x say 600mm long in between the two joists, where you lose the rotten timber add in a bit of new joist so that the you end up with timber-plate-timber along the length of the plate.

Stick say three bolts through on each side say 10mm and some meaty washers. Any 1200 gauge DPM can be used to form a waterproof barrier where it sits in the wall.

 

[joe-90]

Or use pressure treated timber.

 

[Rabmac1]

I read about flitch plates and they sound like they could be tricky.

I will measure the joist tomorrow and post back.

In the meantime should I put a heater in the basement to help dry the area or should I get a dehumidifier or use both?

 

[joe-90]

Neither. Fix it and forget it.

 

[Rabmac1]

Thanks Joe, really appreciate the help.

 

[ree]

What is the source of the damp, and how do you intend to deal with it?

If you want to be taken through the process of safely cutting and bolting on a cellar joist then feel free to come back here.

No plates are needed, but if you slip up you could end up with a bump or a sag in the finished floor surface.

No need for pressure treated either, not for one bolt-on.

Get a length of 1.5m with a section size as close to the original as possible, it doesn't have to be exact, eg a 3" x 5" bolt-on for a 3" x 6" in the floor.

 

[Rabmac1]

The source of the damp was the plumber who installed the boiler had foolishly led the overflow pipe to the basement and it was just dripping on the floor into all the dirt that was stacked against the wall.

As a result the walls have become damp as have the ends of each joist.

I have cleared all the dirt and am currently catching the water in a bucket but I intend on adding an extra piece of pipe and running it outside, maybe 1-2 feet from the house.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If it's dripping all the time it is (you hope) the condensate pipe.

Seek advice from the drips forum on how to ensure it doesn't ice up.