When we bought the house last year, we knew that there was some minimal termite damage when looking at the joists in the basement with our home inspector. We didn’t know the extent of the damage, however, until we pulled up the floors in the future half bath.
To ensure the safety and longevity of these joists, we had to sister them with new 2″x10″x13′2″ planks. (See post regarding how we brought these home.)
This process took two nights, the first night being a comedy (or tragedy) of errors. The original wood, 120 years old, was hand cut and not as precise as modern lumber. Not to mention the fact that the natural settling of the house ensures that nothing is symmetrical anymore. So, a ballet of fitting, cutting, measuring, refitting, recutting and remeasuring ensued. It took all of three hours, but we got the first one in:
The lighter colored wood is the new, the dark is the old. The following night, the other two were fitted in place (this is looking into the basement from the second floor):
Here’s Jeremy finishing the arduous task of nailing in the last nail:
One problem averted, one to go. Next post: Building a header wall to support where we’re removing that previously noted itty bitty support wall.
