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About Pressure-Treated Lumber

All About Pressure-Treated Lumber Do you use pressure-treated lumber for a crawlspace? Crawlspaces are known for being high-moisture environments (a huge problem, see our post on crawlspace humidity). Pressure-treated lumber is built to withstand moisture and water contact. So that's what you should use for your crawlspace, right? Ignoring the fact that your crawlspace should not be high humidity, it likely is at least more so in the interior of your home. If you have had moisture damage in your crawlspace due to humidity, it makes sense that you would want to use pressure-treated lumber. [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-20T12:46:25-04:00January 22, 2024|Uncategorized|

Why Engineered Lumber?

Why Use Engineered Lumber? The benefits A lot of engineered products came about for two reasons: they are easier to install, and they do more. In just about any industry, a product that can do more, easier, and faster will quickly find a use. For example, compared to a floor joist, a web truss won't tip over easily when you set it down and can be quickly nailed down. That big flat surface is also much easier to put a floor on. You don’t need to drill because all the openings are already in place [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-19T17:38:34-04:00January 15, 2024|Uncategorized|

What is Engineered Lumber

What is engineered lumber? Engineered lumber has changed the way we build and what can be built. A simple definition is anything made with wood that has been modified beyond simply removing other wood to make a board. It is everything that is not dimensional lumber, which is the standard building material you see lining the racks of big box stores. Here is a list of some of the more common and known engineered lumber. Pressure-treated lumber This dimensional lumber has been treated with chemicals to make it more resistant to mold and fungi that [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-19T16:42:51-04:00January 8, 2024|Uncategorized|

Old wood is knot like the new wood

Old wood is knot like the new wood For now, we will avoid the discussion of whether they really don't build them like they used to. We are going to look at the question, "Is the old wood from 100 years ago different than today's wood?", and if so,"Is it better?". Is today's lumber different? The short answer is yes, it is. Let's not think about the lucky people who used cypress and oak to build their houses. The two big differences would be the tightness of the growth rings and the development of [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-20T12:44:00-04:00January 1, 2024|Information|

Is There Better Wood?

Is there better wood to frame your house with? In many areas of our lives, there are varying degrees of quality for the things we use. You can find high-quality coffee, cars, clothes, and more. But what about the wood in your house's frame? Can you get better stuff? Do the fancier homes in town have better wood in their bones? Let's look for starters just at regular old dimensional lumber. That's the term used for lumber off the shelf at the big box stores and lumber yards. Types of Wood In our region, [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-19T22:26:25-04:00December 18, 2023|Uncategorized|

Wood Damage Mistakes

Wood Damage from People We have mentioned how insects, mold, and fungi can harm the wood in our homes. Now to look at the bigger source... people. Although more capable, they often cause it unintentionally. The most common ways are cutting holes or taking chunks out of it. Not to point fingers at any trade, stuff happens, and it happens all the time. The perfect layout upstairs in the house rarely takes into account what’s going on in the crawl space. The location of joists and girders is not a typical part of the interior [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-19T15:10:44-04:00December 11, 2023|Structural Repiar|

Wood Damage – Dry Rot and Mold

Microbial Wood Damage Dry rot The term dry rot is a bit misleading because this issue requires moisture to occur. However, in more severe cases, it does make the wood appear very dry. It thrives at a moisture content that is drier than your finger and won't feel wet to the touch. Dry rot is a type of wood-eating fungus. It eats the cellulose fibers that give wood strength. It leaves a board behind that looks more stable than termite damage, but can be just as weak and compromised. Dry rot will cause a board [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-19T14:49:52-04:00November 27, 2023|Moisture Repair, Structural Repiar|

Wood Damage – Termites

Pest Wood Damage Termites In the Upstate area, termites live in the ground and need moisture to survive. There are many species (over 2,000), but the ones here come from the dirt. They eat damp wood near the ground, but they can also eat walls and ceilings if the wood stays wet. This can happen if there's a roof leak or a plumbing leak in a wall cavity. You can see early signs of their damage in the small tunnels they make between the wet ground and the wood. If the damage is worse, there [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2025-06-19T14:53:01-04:00November 7, 2023|Structural Repiar|

What is a Joist?

And here you thought you were walking on sunshine. The joist is the last part of our series on house framing terms. There are both floor joists and ceiling joists. In the absence of flooring and drywall, they will look similar. Joists make up the bulk of the framing in the floors and ceilings. They transfer the load from the floors or ceiling to the walls, girders, and bands. Floor joists are what the subfloor and flooring attach to. They are what hold up the floors and what we walk around on. In the ceiling, [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2023-10-30T13:41:04-04:00October 30, 2023|Uncategorized|

What is a girder

In our quest to cover all the major framing members under the house, we have come to the girder. In wooden framing, the girders are larger framing members that support the joists. Masonry piers, steel columns, or the foundation wall will support the girder. The girder should have a sill between it and any supporting masonry. The girders support the weight of the flooring or walls and transfer it to the ground using piers/columns. A girder is usually made of several boards or an engineered product for longer spans or heavier loads. The girder works [...]

By Upstate Structural Repair|2023-10-23T11:07:34-04:00October 23, 2023|Uncategorized|