How to Repair a Rotted Gist

A joist is a supporting strip of wood that runs horizontally on any floor or decking structure. They generally join two supporting walls and beams to add strength to the structure. If your flooring structure accumulates a good deal of moisture, over time the floor joists are likely to rot. When this happens the structure of your floor is compromised. Fortunately, you can replace individual rotted joists by partially dismantling the flooring.

Carpenter's hammer
Pry bar
Drill
Screwdriver drill bit
Carpenter's pencil
Measuring tape
Circular saw

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the plywood floor boards. They will either be fastened to the supporting joists with several wood screws of framing nails. Use a hammer to pry up the framing nails, or use an electric drill with a screwdriver bit to remove the fastening screws.
- 2
  Use a pry bar to separate the floor boards from the joists and structural beams. Remove all floorboards to reveal the joists in the flooring structure.
- 3
  Locate the rotted joist inside the floor framing. Remove any screws or nails fastening the joist to the metal bracket on the wood beams running adjacently on each end of the joist.
- 4
  Measure the distance between the two supporting beams in the floor's framing. Mark the length on your replacement joist. Cut the new joist to length with a circular saw.
- 5
  Place the new joist inside the brackets mounted to each supporting beam. Attach the joist to the brackets with 3-inch screws or nails. Repeat Step 3 through 5 to replace any other rotted joists in the framing.
- 6
  Place the plywood floor boards back onto the framing. Fasten the floor boards to the framing with 3-inch decking nails or screws. Do not use the same holes in the floor boards when you reattach them to the framing.

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