Replacing the Band & Sill?
#1
Replacing the Band & Sill?
I've posted on here a few times now and I just want to thank everyone for their help as its made a major problem more manageable with your advice/knowledge.
Just to quickly recap, I've got an addition (dining room/kitchen on first floor, master bed/bath on 2nd) that was poorly constructed 6 yrs ago. It sits directly above dirt (no vapor barrier) and over time water has come into the addition and rotted out the floor joists/subflooring.
As it stands, I have PT 2x4 for my sills sitting on the masonry block...perpendicular to the sill is the band which backs against another block (picture an "L") then the joists sit in the groove of the "L". The band is completely rotted out and has to be replaced. What is the best course of action for doing this? Should I jack up the entire structure (3 walls) all at one time and replace the band, can I jack up one side at a time, or since I can literally rip it out by hand, can I tear out some, then put in a 2x4 (vertically) to support the wall instead of using a jack?
Thanks for your time and assistance.
Just to quickly recap, I've got an addition (dining room/kitchen on first floor, master bed/bath on 2nd) that was poorly constructed 6 yrs ago. It sits directly above dirt (no vapor barrier) and over time water has come into the addition and rotted out the floor joists/subflooring.
As it stands, I have PT 2x4 for my sills sitting on the masonry block...perpendicular to the sill is the band which backs against another block (picture an "L") then the joists sit in the groove of the "L". The band is completely rotted out and has to be replaced. What is the best course of action for doing this? Should I jack up the entire structure (3 walls) all at one time and replace the band, can I jack up one side at a time, or since I can literally rip it out by hand, can I tear out some, then put in a 2x4 (vertically) to support the wall instead of using a jack?
Thanks for your time and assistance.
#2
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You probably have a much larger problem then you are aware of. There is no way you can jack up your house and tear out the old sill plates and replace. Remember, you addition is connected to your house. If you are doing this job yourself you only have about one avenue of attack. If you do have a good soft spot, dig all of the sill out for about 6". Enough to get good measurements as to what you will have to fill it with. Once this is established, and you have fill in materials available, cut out a length of sill about 3 to 4 feet long. Do not exceed 6'. To cut this out you will need a sawsall with a wood metal blade, and probably a drill, a 3/4 HP angle drill with an auger bit, or a tiger bit. Bit length to be long enough to drill through the entire sill plate. This will give you a hole on each end to stick in your sawsall blade and cut the ends. Pry out this section, and replace it with a new section. Move on to the next section. When putting in the next section and before butting it up against the previous new section apply 100% silicone caulk between the two sections.. Make a tight fit if you can. This is not an easy job nor is it a fun job. Good Luck
#3
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Please excuse me for leaving a couple things out. It may be that you sill plate is easy to get to. If that is the case, look into this opinion. It maybe be easier to pull off your band sill from the outside. You may have to remove the bottom of your siding, but this would be the easiest way to remove your band. Then procede as I laid out, and you only have to cut out the sill plate.
Again Good Luck You will no doubt run into alot of questions and small problems I have not addressed. We just sail through these things, and there are alot of things we do when replacing sills that I have not mentioned.
Again Good Luck You will no doubt run into alot of questions and small problems I have not addressed. We just sail through these things, and there are alot of things we do when replacing sills that I have not mentioned.
#4
Building codes tend to require an 18" crawl space area, but codes tend to vary from area to area. If you live in an area where building codes are enforced and there is a building inspector, then you need to run your plans by him and get the proper permits and inspections.
Soil should be covered with a minimum of 6 mil polypropylene (plastic) vapor retarder and overlapped 4" and taped and run up walls of foundation. This keeps vapor emissions from coming up through subfloor. This can take a toll on hardwood flooring and other floor coverings subject to moisture & humidity issues.
You may need to dig out some soil in crawl space. This is time consuming and difficult. I have a friend in the process of doing this to an old farm house. His house smells very musty. I don't know how he can stand being enclosed in such a small area and work like a mole. I am claustrophophic.
Please address all moisture issues around the home. Make sure gutters and downspouts are clear and carry water at least 10 feet from structure. Splash guards are not good because they don't carry water far enough away from house. If downspouts are drained into gravel pits or other system that can accommodate runoff, that tends to go a long way toward keeping crawl space dry. Make sure soil around foundation is sloped to carry excess moisture away from foundation.
Soil should be covered with a minimum of 6 mil polypropylene (plastic) vapor retarder and overlapped 4" and taped and run up walls of foundation. This keeps vapor emissions from coming up through subfloor. This can take a toll on hardwood flooring and other floor coverings subject to moisture & humidity issues.
You may need to dig out some soil in crawl space. This is time consuming and difficult. I have a friend in the process of doing this to an old farm house. His house smells very musty. I don't know how he can stand being enclosed in such a small area and work like a mole. I am claustrophophic.
Please address all moisture issues around the home. Make sure gutters and downspouts are clear and carry water at least 10 feet from structure. Splash guards are not good because they don't carry water far enough away from house. If downspouts are drained into gravel pits or other system that can accommodate runoff, that tends to go a long way toward keeping crawl space dry. Make sure soil around foundation is sloped to carry excess moisture away from foundation.