Wet (& missing) rim joist, sill plate, etc.

[Erby]

From this afternoon's inspection.

This was in the crawl space.

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Notice that, as usual, the wood framing starts immediately above the (blocked) crawl space vent.

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While the original sill plate, along with most of the bottom of the rim joist was gone, and the ends of the joists were rotting and starting to crush, someone had shoved a 2x4 in there to hold up the joists. That's all ya need, right!

Then you walk around to the outside and see this:

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Well, OK, I guess you can't see it as well in the picture as you could on the ground (wrong camera angle) BUT

The grade level was about five bricks ABOVE the top of the foundation. All the moisture seeping thru the brick from the ground had done a number on the wood framing. Grade level was about the same all around the front, left and back of the home.

First fix the grading. It needs to be lowered, a LOT.

Then fix the structural framing. Then worry about all the other crap in the crawl space, bad vapor barrier, wood debris, sump pump on a block in a hole in the ground, powder post beetles, etc. I'll save the electrical for a different post.

Gonna cost somebody some MONEY!

[John Kogel]

Hopefully it will not cost your client that much. Just the cost of inspecting a better house. []

[ericwlewis]

picture #2 lets you see where the flashing behind the brick veneer is missing and illustrates how much mortar falls behind the brick during installation.

makes me wonder if there are weepers under the soil letting water IN. []

[Erby]

Weep holes or not, water goes right through brick in this situation.