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Termite and Wood Destroying Insect Certified Real Estate Inspection

Inspections using the NPMA-33 Form

We would desire any Home Inspection company to have us assist them

http://www.newjerseypest.com

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Contact Derek Benson  Dep Inspector / Applicators License 26785A

Looking for a Licensed Certified Home Inspector in all states in the U.S. except New Jersey?  Check out this quality site

http://www.nachi.org

We are specialists for Quality and Guaranteed Sill Plate and Joist Repair and Replacements including Termite Treatments.

We do many other important structural repairs as well.

A frequent casualty of termite and/or moisture in homes is damaged sill plates. These problems may develop in masonry homes where water has penetrated and is absorbed in the masonry and the wood joists or frame homes generally due to moisture or high relative humidity.

Signs of a problem may include: sagging floors, crushed joists at the wood sill or masonry bearing point, and a separation at the floor and joist towards the end of the joist. This situation should be visible in unfinished areas.

It is always better to have a professional contractor do this type of work, but reinforcing joists can be done by even some inexperienced homeowners. Here is a basic plan:

The amount of lumber needed for reinforcement is about 1/3 of the length of the joist plus the amount of damaged wood. If you have a 15’ joist, the replacement piece of wood should be at least 5’ plus the damaged wood. (e.g., if the last 3’ are damaged, the sister joist should be a minimum of 8’ long). Use the same size lumber (e.g., 2" x 8"’s should reinforce 2" x 8"s, etc.).
To support the damaged joist from below with a column or pier, a 4" x 4" is acceptable, if it has adequate footings.
When you install the sister joist, it should bear on the wall a minimum of 4", either in a widened masonry wall pocket or on a wood sill.
To attach the new joists, be sure to use through bolts or, at the very least, lag bolts. These should be staggered up and down, but relatively close to the center of the joists. The bolts should be placed no more than every 18" apart and should have large washers or plates to hold properly. Be sure to drill holes the same size as the bolt to create a snug fit You’ll probably have to hammer the bolt into the wood.
You do not want to use nails because when you put weight on the floor system the joists will flex and twist. When this happens, there is a tendency for the nail to pull or loosen. It only takes 80 lbs. per square inch, (p.s.i.) to pull out a 16-penny nail. Some through-bolts, when used with washers and plates, can support more than 1,000 p.s.i. before a bolt can be pulled through the joists.

If you don’t have the space to use through bolts, we recommend you use lag bolts to give you the lateral strength to hold the pieces of lumber together. If you do the work yourself, the typical costs to repair the joists in this manner is usually $20 per joist for materials. If a contractor does the work, your cost will probably range from $125 to $200.

Hire a structural engineer for any unusual or severely damaged situations as a more comprehensive design solution may be necessary.

FIXING TERMITE DAMAGE

Sister Joists by Derek Benson www.newjerseypest.com

A Solid and Well Planned Project (along with much patience can really save you huge and costly mistakes down the road.  As a matter of fact, the previous owners of the homes also could have been oblivious to the deteriorating conditions of their house structures or also had their homes remodeled with several hidden deficiencies to critical load bearing support systems.  Hidden or Ignored Termite harbarage conditions are usually the #1 cost factor here in New Jersey, #2 usually is moisture damage from years of leaking pipes, roofs, and windows.  Very seldom do people encounter a home on the brink of collapse simply because a wall was opened up wider putting an additional load displacement on the underlying support beams and joists.  But sometimes that does happen and eventually that beautifully remodeled kitchen floor and counter tops start sinking and cracking costing thousands of extra remodeling expense by not taking the preventive steps beforehand to ensure the sub floor, joists, beams, and sills were solid and damage-free.

Most of the time is is hardly practical for a home owner who is even handy to take on these kinds of repairs.  A person can definitely save a whole lot of money if he or she did their research and got an accurate report by a New Jersey Licensed Structural Engineer (strongly recommended); showing areas in need of repair, reinforcement, and replacement.  All the tools and raw materials are easily accessible to anyone as a matter of fact.

Unfortunately, a basic Home Insurance Policy probably won’t cover any defective work done by the homeowner and some bigger repair jobs require a township permit to even get started.  You cannot even rely on your Home Owners liability Insurance to cover damage done by any professional providing repairs to your home.  All professional contractors are required to carry their own Property and Personal Liability Damage Insurance and Be Licensed to perform structural damage repairs or Home Improvements as of January 1 2006.

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