Sill Plates

Posted in March 11, 2010 ¬ 1:41 pmh.adminNo Comments »

Sill Plates

Replacement of a Termite Damaged Sill Plate

Did you know that until fairly recently builders were not required to use treated wood for a sill plate. If you happen to own a home that does not have a treated sill plate and termites have destroyed it, you will need to replace this damaged piece.

Install a temporary beam in the basement of your home. This beam could be made out of doubled 2×10′s or 8′s. Jack the temporary beam with either screw jacks, hydraulic jacks or just plain doubled-up 2×4′s. You don’t need to lift up more than possibly 1/16 of an inch or just enough to relieve the bearing weight that is on the offending member. This weight may consist of the exterior walls, roof and interior floor joists. If you have any questions on the jacking process it would be wise to consult either a professional contractor or engineer. Keep in mind if your home is brick a different method must be used.

Once the weight is off it will be time to remove the old sill plate. Keep in mind that they are often bolted to the foundation. If this is the case it may be necessary to chisel out small sections at a time. This part of the procedure can be very time consuming, so make sure you don’t get impatient and don’t mind getting dirty. It may be necessary to use a sawzall with a metal cutting blade to cut the nails, just be careful not to let the sawzall blade poke holes in the exterior siding.

Once the old termite damaged parts are removed, measure where the existing foundation bolts are located. Transfer these measurements onto the new plate and cut slots wide enough to allow the installation of it.

Install the new sill plate, slipping it into the location of the old one. After it is in place use oversized fender washers, or washers that the engineer has specified, and properly sized nuts. Tighten up the nuts to snug the new plate into place.

After the new member is installed it will be time to remove the jack system and the temporary beam. Once the weight of the home is back onto the new sill plate, it will be necessary to nail all of the joists into the new sill plate. This procedure can be tough, especially in tight spaces. If you don’t have a nail gun or if the space is to small to fit a nail gun, specialty fasteners may be needed and these can be specified by an engineer.

Jonathan Owens owner of Brookline Builders Inc in Lancaster County Pa, is a Lancaster County native, started Brookline Builders 21 years ago when he was 19. Although Brookline Builders will complete all your residential and commercial construction needs in Lancaster County as well as surrounding counties, Jonathan personally enjoys all types of historic restoration.

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