Renovating a fire damaged home to live
passedpawn
| Posted in General Discussion on
I’m buying a home with fire damage, most of the damage was in the basement where it started and did some damage to the joists. The joists are intact but are charred pretty badly in the spot where the fire was. Should I replace them or can I sister them with new joists? Can or should I paint over the charred joist or just remove them completely?
Thanks
Replies
I think it's impossible to give a responsible answer without personally inspecting the site. Depending on the damage, all the options you suggest might be viable. There tends to be a lot of hysteria around fire damage, but with knowledge and care, repairs are generally quite practical. Consider the possibility that because of the hysteria, resale value may be compromised.
It's a good idea to use some kind of sealing paint to limit odor-a shellac based primer is more or less traditional.
But regardless my answer is to hire a competent contractor or structural engineer and follow her recommendations.
Thanks for the response! I feel the hysteria surrounding the property from other people but when I go in I see simple fixes here and there.
Replace them. Then spray everything with even a hint of smoke damage with Kilz to seal in the odor.
Thanks, I think that is the route I'm going
I am in the middle of a restoration of a house that was in a fire. Like others said, it's hard to give a recommendation without inspecting the house oneself. However, if the joists are badly damaged, chances are the floor is too. And maybe some of the wall. And if the wall was close to an exterior wall, you might end up having to rebuild a not insignificant part of the house. In the house I'm working, it looked like it was going to be a couple joists and some minor floor damage, and ended up rebuilding the whole front of the house. Regardless of structural soundness, I would not sister to anything that has evidence of fire, because that will take away a lot of the restored value. And if you are removing part of the floor, there's no benefit to sistering anyway--might as well replace.
Charred joists can be weaker than their original strength and may not be able to support the weight of your home as well as before the fire. It's best to have a structural engineer inspect the joists to determine if they need to be replaced or if they can be sistered (i.e., reinforced by attaching new, stronger joists alongside the existing ones)
Charred joists can be weakened by the fire damage and may not provide the necessary structural support for your home. It is important to have a professional contractor or structural engineer assess the damage to determine the best course of action. In some cases, sistering new joists alongside the existing ones may be sufficient to reinforce the structure.
I see it's been a while, but I wanted to chime in. While it's possible to sister new joists alongside the existing ones, it's essential to make sure that they're structurally sound and able to support the weight of the house. Suppose you need to figure out the extent of the damage. In that case, it may be best to consult with a professional contractor or structural engineer who can assess the situation and provide guidance on the best course of action. In case something goes wrong, there are companies like https://www.sellingahousewithfiredamage.com which buy fire-damaged houses, so don't worry about that. Good luck!