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Had to fix a sagging porch roof in a 100 year old house last month
The whole thing was drooping about 3 inches in the middle. I figured I'd just sister on some new joists, but when I got under there, the main beam was rotted where it met the brick pier. Couldn't just jack it up and replace it because of how the floor joists were tied in. Ended up building a temporary wall with 4x4s on either side, cutting out a 4 foot section of the old beam, and sliding in a new pressure-treated 6x8. The trick was using a car jack and some cribbing to lift the old beam just enough to get the new one in without moving the whole roof structure. Took me and a helper a full day just for that part. Anyone else run into a hidden beam rot problem that needed a workaround like that?
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tessalane5mo ago
That "hidden beam rot" is the worst kind of surprise.
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grace9835mo ago
Actually, hidden rot is bad, but the worst is finding it in a load-bearing wall. A beam is at least a single part you can fix. Rot inside a wall frame can spread and means tearing out way more material. Both are terrible surprises, but one usually costs a lot more time and money to set right.
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grace275mo ago
Well, @grace983 just made my beam rot feel cheap.
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andrew_baker94mo ago
Why is it always the hidden stuff that ends up being the real nightmare? You're right, a beam is bad but at least you can see the whole problem and get after it in one shot. That hidden rot in a wall frame just keeps on giving in the worst way, sneaking around behind the drywall. I feel for you, man, that's a gut punch that just keeps on punching every time you find another spot. Solidarity from someone who's been there with a surprise load-bearing wall issue, it's a special kind of headache.
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