Rotten timber beam

[adunato]

Hello,

I'm renovating a 100+ yrs old flat and I'm currently about to replaster the master bedroom. As the plaster was taken off the external wall, I revelead a 2x3 timber beam running along the wall. Part of the timber is eaten up to its full depth on its right side for about 50cm of length, the rest of it (about 4m) is still in good condition. Behind the beam there is brickwork which takes most of the wall's depth (total of 8 inches).

I would hate having to replace the timber as to do so I would need to take out the ceiling plasterboards which look OK, hence my question is can I just remove the rotten timber and fill the gap with cement, or do I need to replace the whole thing?

Pics attached.

Thanks in advance

Untitled

• adunato
• 26 Mar 2011
• 1

Untitled

• adunato
• 26 Mar 2011
• 1

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[noseall]

I'm renovating a 100+ yrs old flat

Are you on the top floor?

 

[adunato]

Ground floor

 

[noseall]

Can't be a wall plate on an internal wall can it......?

Unless the building has been extended....?

Curious.

 

[noseall]

Do the ceiling/floor joists rest on this wall?

 

[adunato]

Can't be a wall plate on an internal wall can it......?

Unless the building has been extended....?

The wall is an external one and I don't think there has been any extension on that side (but can't swear on it). Joists should rest on this wall as they're perpendicular to it. Isn't the wall plate only used for internal walls?

 

[stuart45]

Wall plates were quite common on Victorian houses, sometimes only 1 inch thick. On 9 inch walls they often rotted.

 

[adunato]

Wall plates were quite common on Victorian houses, sometimes only 1 inch thick. On 9 inch walls they often rotted.

Thanks. Any other way of fixing this other than replacing the entire wall plate?

 

[stuart45]

I would find out the cause of the rot first. If only a section is rotten you could replace it with brickwork or treated timber.
Also identify the type of rot eg wet or dry.