As I’ve done more demolition on the lower floor of our home, I’ve discovered the termite damage is a bit more extensive than I’d thought.
I’d been thinking something like 15 studs would need to be replaced or reinforced. I figured I could do that myself. My electrician advised me to get it done before his crew goes to work.
But now I’ve found there’s termite damage not just to the studs but also to the top plate. I would describe the damage as severe, but not extensive.
Still, it’s more than I can handle on my own. Replacing the top plate involves propping up the second story with supports, and the consequences of doing it wrong could be disasterous.
And maybe it’s not worth fixing at all. This is pre-Katrina damage, after all. We lived with it for years, and the house appears to be sturdy.
In any event, I will leave that determination — and the work itself — to a professional.
I talked to my electrician and came up with a new plan: We will restore power to the upper floor only, for now. That will allow us to live in the house and to take our time fixing the lower floor.
That way I don’t have to rush. We can take the time to do it right.
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I really admire the courage of you guys. Also your quiet decency in the face of adversity> I’ve always thought you folks were great talents, but it is apparent that moe importantly you are good people. Take care.
Depending on how much of your plate is gone lengthwise, you might be able to get it done by using a few scabs of new plate and some careful sawz-alling out of the eaten stuff. You do need to get a pro to look at it, but they might be able to work around it. If you have entire 8′ lengths eaten like that though, they’re going to have to bring in a couple of jacks.
Before you totally seal everything else up, it’d be worth a few google searches and a couple hundred bucks to prevent any further insect pals from turning your investment into a salad bar. Termite sand, metal shields, etc, are worth their weight in gold. (Or wood.)