It can be possible to stabilize or fix a rotted floor joist, but it is a specialist and complex process that must be undertaken by a professional to ensure the health of your home and your safety. DIY could end very badly for you and your home.
The Dangers of DIY
DIY of any kind is risky, but DIY structural repairs, in particular, are incredibly problematic. This is why we recommend that you do not attempt to repair a damaged floor or rotted floor joists without professional help. There are simply too many things that could go wrong. Primarily, there is a very real chance that you will cause more damage to your home by trying to repair the issues alone, especially if you try to sister the rotted joists.
While sistering is a commonly recommended repair and bolstering method on DIY blogs and sites, it is notorious for causing more damage to the joists in question. This is because sistering requires you to move a damaged joist out of the way to add more materials to it. This movement can weaken the joist and lead to a more exacerbated sag in the flooring. In fact, it could even lead to the flooring collapsing over time, if you are not careful. Even if you try to undertake more professional repairs there is a high chance that you will cause damage to your home or even injury to yourself.
The Professional Process
When it comes to rotted joists and damaged flooring, the professional process of repair can differ from home to home for several reasons. This is, first, because of the number of underlying issues and connected forms of damage that can be involved in allowing wood rot to flourish. The process only gets more complex when the dampness that allows wood rot to flourish is caused by issues like foundation damage. These kinds of repairs can be actively dangerous because of the equipment needed to undertake the work that is required.
The actual process of removing, replacing, or repairing rotted floor joists and supports, however, is a little simpler. First, the rot must be treated and removed to prevent it from spreading further and causing damage to the rest of your property’s structure. This means treating the rotting wood with chemicals and dehumidifying the crawl space. After this point, the floor must be properly supported. Installing crawl space jacks is the most common way to do this. Once the rot has been treated and the floor has support, many homeowners choose to waterproof their crawl space to prevent the recurrence of wood rot and damage in their homes. This process has many stages, but it is relatively straightforward.