Twisted/Rotten Floor Joists - how can we support them?

fas3robinj

I had this problem in an old house a few years ago. I replaced the wood that was rotten, but the new stuff rotted again in less than 12 months. That was it. I ripped the whole floor up and filled the hole with hardcore, damp course and concrete.

Don't build a wall - If you build a wall to support the joists you will obscure the ventilation grills and that will cause damp in the space and cause more rot.

Also - If you have dry rot you will need to treat the wood to protect it.

ormus

you can repair them but as been said, the best solution would be to replace them, or fill the void with hardcore & concrete.

Flyfisher_2

The most important thing to check about any void below a suspended floor is that it has adequate ventilation.
There should be air vents in the outside walls and any supporting wall should be honeycombed to allow airflow.
Check that outside vents haven't been blocked or covered by paving/tarmack.

Damp walls with no ventilation is the perfect breeding ground for dry rot.

Doozergirl

aliasojo wrote: »

Would building insurance cover this kind of thing or is that only for things like subsidence etc?

Joists rotting would normally be wear and tear. It often happens in old houses over time.

If it were dry rot then it might be covered by home insurance.

Inactive

Doozergirl wrote: »

Joists rotting would normally be wear and tear.

Care to elaborate on that, joists dont wear and tear to the best of my knowledge.

Doozergirl

Inactive wrote: »

Care to elaborate on that, joists dont wear and tear to the best of my knowledge.

They age. They degrade over the years if they aren't kept damp free and well ventilated. Insurers won't cover for something that has happened slowly over time, they will consider it to be 'wear and tear'.

Just like all the other things in a house tht degrade and have to be replaced. If you had wooden windows and didn't maintain them properly and they rotted, you wouldn't get your home insurance paying out for new ones.

Doozergirl

Inactive wrote: »

Care to elaborate on that, joists dont wear and tear to the best of my knowledge.

They age. They degrade over the years if they aren't kept damp free and well ventilated. Insurers won't cover for something that has happened slowly over time, they will consider it to be 'wear and tear'.

Just like all the other things in a house that degrade and have to be replaced. If you had wooden windows and didn't maintain them properly and they rotted, you wouldn't get your home insurance paying out for new ones.