Structural Support Repair

Insect-Damaged Sill Beam Replacement on a Balloon-Framed Home

A real Appalachian Foundation Services project: restoring the structural support of a home whose sill beam had been compromised by wood-boring insects.

The deteriorated structural wood at the corner of the home, with the wall temporarily braced while the failed section was removed and replaced.

The Problem

This balloon-framed home had a sill beam compromised by wood-boring insect damage. The sill is the beam that ties the framing down to the foundation.

Once insects hollow that beam out, the wall above loses the solid base it depends on, which is why this kind of damage has to be corrected at the structure, not just patched at the surface.

What We Did

The damaged section was carefully removed and replaced with new structural lumber, restoring the proper structural support the home had lost and giving the wall above a solid base to rest on again.