Archive | Carpenter Ants

Floor Framing Repair in Milwaukie, Oregon… Wood Boring Beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Dry Rot Oh My

By Robin Bragg on November 15, 2018 in Carpenter Ants, Dry Rot Repair, Exterior Siding

In the Pacific Northwest, the damage to your home from the elements and pests cannot be underestimated. This Milwaukie, Oregon home had extensive damage from Wood Boring beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Dry Rot — this trifecta caused extensive home exterior damage. Bragg Construction arrived on the scene to completely reconstruct one entire end of the house after it had dropped approximately 2 inches due to the hollowed floor joists.

Removal of damaged home exterior material from Milwaukie, Oregon home with damage from Wood Boring Beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Dry Rot by Bragg Construction

Inspection, Damage Assessment, and Identification of the Villains:

The home was a one-level ranch house with a brick facade with faulty drip flashing. To understand more about the downward spiral of water damage please read this previous blog post. Encouraged by the intrusion of water, some villainous insects had clearly caused damage. Research was done to determine the presence of both Carpenter Ants and Wood Boring Beetles. To learn more about Wood Boring Beetles please check out the OSU insect identification page.

A view of the home exterior damage caused by failed flashing between the home siding and brick facade and faulty roofing allowed water to enter the home’s frame

Navigating the crawl space and inspecting the floor framing, we determined at least 6 floor joist were nearly completely hollowed. A pocket-knife went through a 2 inch thick timber, wood powder came raining down, and it was time to remove the exterior siding to get started with the replacement of the floor timbers!

Home exterior view of damage caused by dry rot, Carpenter Ants, and Wood Boring Beetles

Jacking the house up

Notice the 3 wall jacks that were neaded to lift the hosue 2 inches

Removing the joists

Bragg Construction jacked the house up in order to remove the joists. Again, the Boring Beetles had done extensive damage, notice all of the holes in the joists.

Close-up of wood with Wood Boring Beetles exist holes in fir floor joist.

The core of the wood was hollow. The exterminator came in prior to Bragg Construction coming in to do the repairs.

Wood Boring Beetle Damage to Floor Joists

Shreds and powder are all that remains of this floor joist removed due to Wood Boring Beetle damage.

New sill plate and Joists

Bragg Construction inserted 4 full length 12′ floor joists.

View of the 4 new 12′ lumber floor joists.

Straight on view of the new sill plate and floor joists

Rim Band Put in Place For Completion

Rim band goes into place to complete the repair.

Professional tile and laminate flooring installation in Milwaukie, Oregon

By Robin Bragg on May 16, 2018 in Carpenter Ants, Interior Flooring

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Bragg Construction and Remodeling has been providing professional Tile flooring installations for over 30 years. The old vinyl floor was removed. The dry rot and carpenter ant damage were repaired, (and exterminated). New cement board has been glued and nailed to the repaired sub floor. The Tile flooring has been professionally installed.

Cement board subflooring ready for tile

Properly undercutting a door jam and casing

A piece of the tile and 2 paint sticks help to determine the thickness of the finished floor. The tile acts as a spacer and a guide, the paint sticks allow for the thickness of the cement adhesive.

Undercutting a door jam and casing to make room for tile

Properly make height adjustment to allow room for mortor:

The under cut is complete, the tile is cut, time to check the fit.

Spacing sticks make room for mortor for correct casing cutting

Confirm fit of properly notched tile to slide under the casing:

The tile is cut and “dry fit” to be sure that it will easily slide under the jamb and casing.

Properly cut tile slides under door jam

One Final Tile to be Cut and Set:

Here is the other side of the door and the final tile will be cut and set in mortor.

Cement board, embedded metal transition piece, ready for last piece of tile

Cement Board Ready for Tile Setting

Cement board, glued and nailed, fiberglass mesh tape on the seams, pencil guide lines, ready to set tile.

Cement board sub flooring ready for tile (1)

The Finish Tile Floor

The tile floor is completed with motor and silicone sealer.

Completely finished tile floor in kitchen that is waterproof and indestructible which is always a good recommendation for a kitchen or bath

Turning to the Laminate Floor in the Living Room:

The kitchen got a new tile floor and the living room got a new laminate floor.

Continuation of laminate flooring installation in Mailwaukie living room

Continuation of laminate flooring installation in Milwaukie living room

Repairing Carpenter Ant Damage and Dry Rot Repair in Milwaukie Oregon

By Robin Bragg on April 11, 2018 in Carpenter Ants, Dry Rot Repair, Interior Flooring

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Water damage causes dry rot. Dry rot is an invitation to Carpenter Ants. Once you’ve got Carpenter Ants eating away at your home you’ve got trouble. The downward spiral continues to feed the dry rot and colony of Carpenter Ants. Carpenter Ants can do thousands of dollars of damage to your home. They eat wood to make room to build their nests which weakens the structure of your home. You’ve got to remove the dry rot to get rid of the Carpenter Ants.

Floor Framing with Caprenter Ant in Milwaukie, Oregon Home

Floor Framing with Caprenter Ants in Milwaukie, Oregon Home

Remove the finished flooring:

One of the most common places for dry rot to start in your home is near Kitchen and Bathroom fixtures. Often a very small leak will begin the downward spiral.

Reveal the subfloor to determine the extent of damage:

The only good news about dry rot and Carpenter ant damage is the opportunity to get a new floor. In an older home it may already be time for a new floor so . . let the work begin. First the old floor must be removed to expose the sub floor and the extent of the damage. This project had an ugly vinyl floor with a chip board, (particle board sub floor).

Removal of Subfloor revealing Carpenter Ant damage

Remove the damaged framing:

Another bit of good news on this project is that the carpenter and and dry rot damage was only about 2 square feet. Since this was an active nest an exterminator was brought in to destroy the ants.

Damaged subfloor removed and ready for repair

Replace the subflooring:

Bragg Construction and Remodeling builds Tile floors to last. Tile Floors are very durable if built on top of a cement sub floor. We glue the cement floor to the sub floor and nail with ring shank nails. Notice the pencil lines with a suggested lay out for the 1 x 2 tiles.