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Remodel Project Update
4
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| Rot! |
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| Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! I'm shocked, shocked I
say, to report that (gasp!) there was hidden damage from the usual
suspects, rot and termites. They seemed especially interested in the
pantry that had adobe infill, as it must have held in the moisture. |
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| Joists under the bathroom were rotted from years of a leaky
toilet and bathtub. The shower also poured water out the bottom (and
into an electric box!). |
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| The rim joists that passed behind the concrete front porch
got rotted out from all the water that seeped behind the concrete.
Even the old-growth redwood sill was shredded. |
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| Floor joists under the pantry rotted where they were up
against the concrete stemwall. |
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| Speaking of rot, this is the water main that fed the back
yard and laundry room. That big blob near the beer can is moss, fed
by the ample moisture from the corroded pipe. the water pressure in
this neighborhood is 70 lbs, and I'm amazed that this pipe didn't blow
sky-high. |
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| Termite damage wasn't always visible from the outside.
This board looked fine, but was hollowed out with termite tunnels.
The termites will sometimes just leave a thin shell that looks like a
sound board, but you can crush it with your hand, and a huge pile of
termite droppings rolls out. |
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| Stripping the windows revealed the true extent of the damage
from rot and termites. The wood has to be cleaned back to reasonably
sound wood for repair. Any smooth sections gets small brads pounded
in to give the epoxy putty something to grab onto. |
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| Condensation on the glass dripped onto this bottom sash top,
contributing to the advanced state of decay. Termite tunnels were
opened up with a utility knife, and the rot cleaned out. |
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| The same window after repaired with Bondo epoxy. The
corner is stronger than the original joint. |
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