I have recently discovered an attempted renovation from a previous owner (missed by the home inspector :( ) who intentionally cut about 14 inches out of a floor joist. The joist is probably 30 feet long and the missing section is almost at the end, starting just a few inches in from an outside wall. Is this possible to repair and how could would it be done? I have placed a jackpost to shore up support underneath the 'hanging' end of the joist. Thanks!
2007-02-02 02:02:58 · 8 answers · asked by Mr. Joist 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Additional Info: The house is about 80 years old so all the joists are solid pieces of 2x10. The cut joist is actually a double joist (two 2x10s nailed together).
Thanks for all the posts, they have been really helpful.
2007-02-02 04:24:51 · update #1
as with all the other answers I would jack the cut joist up to level and scab in the missing pieces then sister the outside of the joint with the same size lumber at least 4 times them length amount of the patch instead of screwing the joint together you SHOULD bolt it and glue it screws have less of a shear strength about 300 foot lbs and nails also do but nails have more shearing stregnth I think it is about 1000 pounds for a 16 penny using bolts you will increase the shear streanght of the joint and have less chances of it pulling apart under a weight load you can use the screws to get the joint together but do make sure you bolt it at least every 2 feet use construction adhesive in a tube should be a easy fix for ya and save ya allot of work in the long run with out having to have a carpenter do it for you
2007-02-02 18:28:24 · answer #1 · answered by freddy B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your joists are just dimensional lumber, like 2 by 8s or 2 by 12s, for example, I would put a piece in to replace the one cut out - it would be about 14 inches long and the same width & height, and go at the end of the piece cut short. Then I would cut 2 more pieces of the same size lumber, about 5-6 feet long, and put them on either side of this joint, and nail the whole thing together in a sandwich, so that the end of that joist is 3 boards thick.
If they are engineered joists, then I'd consult a builder or carpenter.
2007-02-02 02:12:58 · answer #2 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dry rot could certainly cause structural problems if it becomes extensive enough but if the building were in danger of imminent collapse, it sounds like the second inspection would have said so. Failure of one joist should not make a building fall down. I'm not sure exactly why you're worried about this. In one way, you should be pleased that your landlords are doing what they should, which is keeping the building in a safe condition by repairing a fault. They didn't create the dry rot on purpose to annoy their tenants. They did not know, when you moved in, how extensive it was. No one knew. The disruption to the people in the flat below is their problem, not yours. I do not know how much disruption there will be in your flat, but you have been told it won't be significant. Since the work is being done from below, there may be practically none. Whether or not you can or want to stay in the flat while the work is being done is between you and the rental agency according to the landlord/tenant laws where you are. That may be something that can't be decided upon just yet.
2016-03-29 01:25:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to span the gap with another joist, make the replacement about two feet longer than the gap and use cross pieces if possible, you may have to put in a piece of 2x4 up along the outer joist so you can have something to fasten the end of the replacement joist to. Be sure to try eliminate any drop caused by the weight of the floor so when you make the repair the floor will be level.
2007-02-02 02:22:38 · answer #4 · answered by RP2@AZ 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure, you can fix anything... SLOWLY jack the joist up to level... 1/2 turn on the post nut per 2 weeks. Get some 8' long boards the same size as the beam/joist. If there are 2 joists nailed together (doubled up) then get 2 - 8' boards. Put a 4' section on each side of the existing joist by nailing and gluing it to the existing one (yup, all the way along) and resting on the sill plate that the cut one used to rest on... as I said, if it's doubled then you need 2 on each side of the double... or 4 if quadrupled and thus a "beam"... Good luck
2007-02-02 02:14:13 · answer #5 · answered by 6kidsANDalwaysFIXINGsomething 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Need more information about the type of floor joist that was cut out. Is it a dimensional lumber piece (2x10 or 2x12 type board), is it a composite beam, is it an engineered truss (thus multiple pieces of dimensional lumber connected together with upper and lower sections and cross members), or is it like a composite wooden I-beam. The type of joist will determine the correct fix for your problem.
2007-02-02 04:01:33 · answer #6 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had a similar thing in my house uncovered when i remodeled, too. the building inspector from the town said to sandwich the joist with the same sized lumber and glue them and screw them to reinforce the joist. i didn't have to run them the whole span, 12', just from the support to a point equal distant the other side of the defect. two 8' ers did the trick. i predrilled the patch joists so that the glue and screw process would be quicker. hope this helps, good luck.
2007-02-02 06:40:54 · answer #7 · answered by car dude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its 30 ft and doubled so its probably 2 pieces for that span so use 2 16 footers and relocate were the ends meet not put them how it is pieced together now and then but a metal plate on t5he joint were the 2 pieces meet
2007-02-02 05:57:18 · answer #8 · answered by tom c 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋