Termite Structural Damage

Structural damage from wood-destroying insects is a condition that Team Engineering can identify, evaluate its extent, and design repairs for, if needed. Here in New England, the most common culprits are termites, carpenter ants and carpenter bees. Depending on how long the insects have been active without extermination, the damage can be significant enough to require structural repair or replacement.

In a recent inspection, Team Engineering identified numerous floor beams and joists that had enough damage to require complete replacement of the framing members. In this picture, a 3” awl,or small-pointed tool used for poking holes, is completely embedded in a 5” wide beam. Think about that for a moment. That means there is damage from one side of the beam, past the middle, and most likely even longer than the 3” tool itself. Similarly, the joists that are supported by this beam had significant damage as well. In this extreme case, we had unfortunately design replacement for most of the floor framing.

In other more common cases, the damage may not be as severe and minor repairs (if any at all) may be installed to help support the structural deficiencies. Our process involves measuring how much of a framing member is damaged and calculating if the undamaged portion is still strong enough to carry the loads applied. At Team Engineering, we believe in assisting our clients with the most economical solutions and whenever we can salvage the framing and/or save costs, we will do our best to do so. Additionally, we like to take our service a step further and advise our clients on how to avoid this situation in the future. Give us a call today and we’ll work with you to identify the most cost-effective solutions and give you tips on how to preserve your home the right way!