Due to Termite and (believe it or not) Raccoon damage, my house sill plate might need changing. The sill plate has certain sections that have been eaten away at=85 none of these locations is under a rafter location.
So, the question is, if my sill plate does NOT have rot and is NOT disintegrating due to termites, is it possible to patch the sill plate? Or should I undertake the expensive task of replacing it?
Thanks, Raj
"So, the question is, if my sill plate does NOT have rot and is NOT disintegrating due to termites, is it possible to patch the sill plate? Or should I undertake the expensive task of replacing it?
The primary purpose of the sill place is the spread the load of the joist.
If "significant" wood has been eaten away your sill plate isn't really spreading the load but only acting as a cushion between the joist and the concrete.
Frankly, the odds are good that the termites have gotten into the joists either through the sill plates or via the "end plates."
Do the "philips screwdriver" test and do some hard probing of the sill and the joists. You may well find that what looks like sound wood is actually hollow.
** Posted fromThanks John, for your help... a few questions below:
Would you happen to have a magic number on the percentage of wood damaged? 10%, 20%?
What do you classify as an "end plate"?
I did the screwdriver test... existing wood is good... as you said, I'll need to figure out the load, and if "patching" can help with the load.
Thanks again, Raj
Do yourself a favor - spend a few bucks for a structural engineer to come look at it.
Balderdash!
Post some decent pics, I'll fix it from here. -----
- gpsman
gpsman wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@d1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
You're good.
People have no idea what you can do with duct tape, tie wraps and baking soda.
Nah, sill plates don't spread any load. They're just a nailing surface for the joists and wall studs. They're already flat against the foundation, so they can't transfer any weight. If they sat up off of the foundation, then yes, they'd be spreading load. Just bolt them to the foundation and tie them into the neighboring sill plates.
Here's a garage sill plate DIY: http://www.hammerz> The primary purpose of the sill place is the spread the load of the joist.=
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