A client called and asked me to investigate some suspected wood rot on their windowsill outside the dining room, So I started poking around...The house had aluminum siding- a material that is rigid, durable, stable, and great for hiding what is really going on underneath.
Yikes.
I kept working my way upward looking for sound material...Yep, that's second floor rafters and top plate you're looking at.
The cause? The last guys to roof the house re-used the old galvanized step flashing...unfortunately, the last piece was rusted through, and it didn't run off properly anyway. (these same jokers told the clients they did a complete tear off and re-roof, but the whole upper slope had 3 layers on it.)
Turns out the windowsill was rotten after all...
Obviously, major structural repairs were in order, as this was a 2 story bearing wall. We built 3 shoring walls in the basement, dining room and bedroom with shear panels of 1/2 in plywood nailed at 8" o.c.. The clients son was thrilled. "Finally! walls I can draw on without getting in trouble!"
Yes, rim joists, floor joists and headers too...I have no idea what was keeping this wall standing,
A few picks of the finished product. Of course, we had to re-roof it above properly. (yes, we even replaced the 80 year old step flashing!)
