Badly supported joist

[Sam Darby]

Whilst fitting the waste to our new bath, I noticed that one of the joists of the bathroom floor is not supported properly at one end - the brick it should be sitting on has fallen back into the cavity and is supporting the joist only with its front edge. Difficult to describe so I've taken a photo (12KB):

for background, the bathroom is located above our garage, so access to the underside of the bathroom floor is easy. The joists span the width of the garage.

Question is, since this joist is directly under where we are positioning the new bath, and its a big corner bath, so potentially quite heavy, should I repair this?

If I need to repair it, what would be the best way? I've already had two suggestions:

1. Support the joist, and refit brick.

1. Don't move anything and add mortar to support the out of place brick.

I can't really understand why the brick is like that in the first place (it is right next to the soil stack, which sits in the cavity and breaks the inside garage wall), and why there appears to be no evidence of mortar ever being used on it.

Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks

Sam.

[Alex]

I'd feel safer knowing there was a full brick under there, not just mortar. Proping up the joist needn't be difficult, it is held up by the floorboards to an extent anyway. Have you got a bit of wood you could knock up underneath the joist to give temporary support? No need to hire any props or anything.

Alex

[neil leslie]

I'm getting a quote from Maintain all trades for some work I'm considering. Has anyone had experience of this company?

[Michael Mcneil]

Knock a 3 x 2 prop under it far enough from the wall to let you get to it. Then break the brick out and replace with another or something like bedded in cement to stop it shaking loose again. You might have to build it up with tile or slate. When the cement has set, remove the prop.

[N. Thornton]

I would myself, that brick doesnt look too secure. Plus all the forces on it are concentrated onto small corners, which wont help things survive loading.

Thats what I'd do too. Blob of mortar option is a bodge, sooner or later the mortar would fail and fall out again.

A length of wood just a shade longer than floor to ceiling can be put there and banged in a bit to take the strain. Might crack the ceiling though.

Regards, NT