Repairing Antique Timbers

We had four damaged girts (long beams that go across a bent and support floors) to repair. Two required replacement of damaged wood with replacement wood, and the other two needed steel reinforcement.

Nothing like taking a perfectly damaged timber and ripping it in half - lengthwise. We started a cut with the big circular saw, then finished with the beam saw to get a 1/4" slot for the steel reinforcement plate. 

With good blocking below the damaged timber, we then drove the plate in the slot with a sledgehammer.

Plate in place with bolts locking it in place.

 This timber had a small section of rot where a stud pocket sat. We removed the decay and glued in a piece of dimensional lumber and anchored with a few timber lock screws.

This timber had two sections with damage around stud pockets. The damaged areas were removed, then replacement vintage oak was fitted up and glued in with Gorilla Glue. 

One of the two replacement pieces after being glued in and cleaned up with the axe and slick. All that is left is to make a new mortise for the stud to sit in. 

The outside of this post was rotted away, but the inside face was complete. After the post was cleaned up, a piece of rot resistant Larch was gorilla glued in place, then the repair was cleaned up with an axe and a slick.