I have a cabin in Norway with a masonry cold basement (230 cm height) built in the 30s. The basement is damp, and I have gotten some genuine damn brown rot (confirmed through analysis). Two sides of the foundation will be drained this spring, and I will put up Platon mat on the exterior to address the main issue.
Unfortunately, the rot has affected the load-bearing beams in the basement, and I need to replace them all. The beams in the basement rest on the masonry foundation. My luck in misfortune is that I can borrow everything I need in terms of supports and scaffolding. I am also thinking of using pressure-treated timber to spare my descendants from similar problems.
How difficult is it to replace load-bearing beams if I have proper supports? Does anyone here have any experiences, advice, or tips to share?
Unfortunately, the rot has affected the load-bearing beams in the basement, and I need to replace them all. The beams in the basement rest on the masonry foundation. My luck in misfortune is that I can borrow everything I need in terms of supports and scaffolding. I am also thinking of using pressure-treated timber to spare my descendants from similar problems.
How difficult is it to replace load-bearing beams if I have proper supports? Does anyone here have any experiences, advice, or tips to share?
I don't really know how it is with today's impregnated wood, but I know that those who have impregnated sills that have become damp curse over the odor that is emitted. Something to think about!
Your problem seems to be more of the type: 'get the basement dry so that new timber does not meet the same fate'. So it doesn't really matter for the wood if it's treated or not unless you fix that problem. (You might possibly get a scent from treated wood that you don't get from plain wood.)
If you want better security against future rot, then make sure that the supports are separated from the wall with asphalted base paper and a treatment with fungicide (Cuprinol etc.) on the beams isn't wrong either.
And no. It's not particularly difficult to replace the beams if you have the ends properly exposed and have ample access to props and place them where they should stand, i.e., under non-replaced floor beams and around the beam you're replacing. Also count on having to take down and set up a prop or two during the replacement if you're juggling with longer beam lengths. A bit of initial arithmetic doesn't hurt. The diagonal measure is always longer than the beam length.
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Byggaren
If you want better security against future rot, then make sure that the supports are separated from the wall with asphalted base paper and a treatment with fungicide (Cuprinol etc.) on the beams isn't wrong either.
And no. It's not particularly difficult to replace the beams if you have the ends properly exposed and have ample access to props and place them where they should stand, i.e., under non-replaced floor beams and around the beam you're replacing. Also count on having to take down and set up a prop or two during the replacement if you're juggling with longer beam lengths. A bit of initial arithmetic doesn't hurt. The diagonal measure is always longer than the beam length.
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Byggaren