Do I Need to Replace My Wooden Joists?

If you’ve checked your crawl space and see that your floor joists are rotting, then there’s a chance that they may need to get replaced. Other times, no replacement is necessary, and all that needs to be done is support the joists with a support jack. Replacing the joists in your crawl space is not only expensive but also not a practical solution if you aren’t going to waterproof your crawl space anyway. The same problems present in your current joists can appear in your new joists if you don’t care for them properly. 

The trick to repairing floor joists instead of replacing is spotting the problem signs as early as possible. There’s a certain amount of damage that can be prevented if caught in time.  

• When to Replace 

Wooden joists need to be replaced when they are too soft or broken down from wood rot. Fungi are microorganisms that need organic materials and water to survive. After taking up residence in your wooden joist, the fungus will eat away at the wood’s structure and debilitate it considerably. Once wood has been devoured by fungus this way, it can never return to its original strength. Even with a crawl space support jack, weak wood will not be able to evenly support your floor, in which case replacement will be necessary. 

• When Not to Replace 

If a specialist has decided that replacing isn’t necessary, then all that’s left is reinforcement and stabilizing. Even when infected with wood rot, wood can still be saved. Wood can be cleared of wood rot if it hasn’t been affected too severely yet. It can then be reinforced with a wood protector. Of course, this can only be done if the wood rot is detected early, before severe damage is done. 

Sometimes, all wood joists need is a little support. This is especially the case for joists that are healthy but not set up properly. If the floor system itself is lacking due to the way it was set up, then a stabilizer like IntelliJack™ is more than enough to even out the floor. If your sagging floor problem was not caused by water damage, then you may want to consider waterproofing your crawl space anyway. If water and water vapor can get through, your floor joists are always at risk of rotting or getting waterlogged.