Rotten sill beam on a 100 yr old house. (floors, roof, granite)
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I have an old house built roughly around 1912 or earlier. I've gutted the house and completely remodeled the inside and about to put on a new steel roof.
Now I discovered "most" of the sill beam is severely rotten! I'd rather deal with this before the roof since I plan on adding a porch when doing the roof.
I've done a lot of research on the subject of replacing a rotten sill beam and I feel really confident I can handle this with some help from family and friends. What I'm unsure about is whether I should replace the entire foundation or not.
There is no footer or any form of poured concrete. It looks like it was all built on granite blocks. The outside of the foundation looks like nice granite blocks laid directly on the earth. From the crawl space(inside) the blocks look rough and uneven. Meaning they put the nice side of the granite facing out.There is a small amount of cement in between the spaces of the granite and also just enough on top of the granite to make a level surface for the approx 6"X6" native timber sill beams.
The sill beams are severely rotten and have been scabbed over with cement on a couple sides of the house.
As I stated earlier, I've done lots of research on jacking things up, doing it in sections and how to reattach the joists and studs, etc. What I don't know is if I should jack it up and take all the granite out and dig and pour a footer then put in a concrete block foundation like a normal house, then replace the sill.
Do I need to consider a new foundation,,,, footer and all?
I certainly want it all to pass a home inspection in case I need to sell later.
Anyone have any experience or suggestions?
Or I could bulldoze it all and build new, but that's another thread. I'm trying to weigh fixing vs new construction.
I'd sincerely appreciate any advice anyone has to offer.
Thank you!
Jacking up a house is really not for the inexperienced. Replacing a sill plate is one thing, but installing a new footing and foundation wall is quite another. My suggestion would be to get a professional opinion on the stability of the foundation, and if you really need to replace it. A step further is to have a professional do the work.
I'd second that. And any attempt to remove and replace what's in there needs to take into account the reason why it rotted out in the first place. Wood in contact with stone / masonry. The crawlspace in general may have moisture problems as well.
Jacking up a house is really not for the inexperienced. Replacing a sill plate is one thing, but installing a new footing and foundation wall is quite another. My suggestion would be to get a professional opinion on the stability of the foundation, and if you really need to replace it. A step further is to have a professional do the work.
Hopefully the entire house wouldn't need raised at the same time. It seems that it could be done in sections, one wall at a time only raising enough to squeeze the new sill in after the new foundation is installed. Should it need replaced.
I'd second that. And any attempt to remove and replace what's in there needs to take into account the reason why it rotted out in the first place. Wood in contact with stone / masonry. The crawlspace in general may have moisture problems as well.
Very good points Steve. From inside the crawl space, the inside of the sill beam appears to be in excellent shape for the most part. The dirt is always dry in the crawl space, and none of the joists or floor are rotted.
The majority of the damage seems to be eminating from the outside. There's no flashing of any sort.
The backside of the house has a thick concrete porch built up against the house so that is one culprit. I have the idea that porch should be removed and replaced with a deck of some sort.
Along another wall is a section of old concrete porch and that is another culprit. That will need broken up and removed as well.
These are all things I know need taken into consideration. I just hate to replace the sill beam and years down the road IF I tried to sell, an inspector says the old stacked granite foundation is no good since it has no footer.
I'd rather do it all at once IF there's a need for it. It certainly is going to be a large project.
The easy answer for the foundation- are the floors relatively straight and level? If so, don't mess with what ain't broke! Especially when it's seen a hundred years of God knows what!
Replacing sill "plate" is a relatively simple process when done in sections- the "fix" is using the right materials and procedures to achieve a dry, stable, and moisture shedding facade and foundation.
Which lasts longer... concrete or granite... I think you know the answer.
Sorry but I think my main question is: Which will pass a home sale inspection. Granite without a footer directly on dirt. Or a block foundation on a footer?
We didn't need to replace our foundation. We would have needed professionals if that was necessary since our foundation is sandstone. I just wanted to give you encouragement for your confidence that you can replace the sill plate on your own. My husband and his friends successfully did it years ago.
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