Termite Damaged Trusses / Wood Hardener

[mike4]

I have a 1600sf detached block garage on my property, which i purchased not long ago. I had a new shingle roof put on it right off the bat. They had to replace most of the decking. They said many were termite damaged but so no actual live termites. The trusses are exposed on the inside (no ceiling / attic). This is in Florida. There are no active termites anywhere that i've seen or seen evidence of (wings frass etc). The building is 50+ years old so likely damaged at points in the past.


The trusses all appear, to the eye, fine. However once i started inspecting / touching them, many are somewhat brittle to the touch. Not that they'll disintegrate in your hand, but noticeably soft.


So, i've coated all the trusses and decking (from the inside) with boracare (to prevent future termites) which i've used at other points in time in other locations with good success. I'm going to be converting this detached block garage essentially into a guest house.


My question is in regards to wood hardeners. I've read that penetrating epoxy hardeners & similar products can solidify the existing wood. I've seen some things such as Abatron Liquidwood, Minwax Wood Hardener and some others. It seems I'd need many thousands of dollars worth of these products to coat the trusses. Any other alternatives here? I've seen an outfit or two selling generic penetrating epoxy (not for any specific purpose). Is sistering into such wood as it is viable? Thanks!

 

[rlitman]

You have soft trusses and you're looking at a penetrating chemical. Yeah, forget that. Sorry to say, you've reached engineer time. Shoring and replacement or sistering are options for conventional framing (maybe even if you had something solid like a paralam), but that's not so simple for trusses.

 

[carlaisle]

Noticeably soft wood in a truss needs to be consigned to a bonfire. From what you have described, the structure of your roof is materially compromised and the affected trusses need to be replaced.

 

[Hank11]

You might be able to sister in place, but as written above this is not a job for wood hardener. This calls for an inch by inch inspection and careful consideration. Best as I can tell from my computer I'd say whatever you put in there needs to equal what was originally there. Good news is that it did not fall down when they put the new sheathing and roof on.

 

[john.k]

If the shed is staying up and the wood is solid enough you cant pull handfulls out of the frame ,Id live with it........just be sure there is no more termite activity.

 

[mike4]

thanks, appreciate the input & for what it's worth the building just went through the eye of a cat 3 hurricane with no ill effects

 

[The Bean]

Wood rot epoxy consolidators (I use Abatron LiquidWood & WoodEpox) should not be used for load bearing structural building elements despite the product stating:
"Permanently reinforces deteriorated wood and restores structural strength".
Think window frame and millwork.

 

[hefnerconstructionlc]

As above, sister or replace upon careful inspection.

 

[The Bean]

I use Abatron LiquidWood & WoodEpox. But would never use it for load carrying structural building element. Window sill or frame, trim, furniture, etc., ok.

 

[andyvh1959]

Assuming the trusses are on 16" or 24" spacing, could you stick frame in new rafters and ceiling joists centered between each pair of current trusses?

Up here in east central WI we have mosquitos and winter weather, but next to nothing termites wise. The winter hard freeze cycles kills off a lot of nasty little critters up here.

 

[firebirdparts]

Assuming the trusses are on 16" or 24" spacing, could you stick frame in new rafters and ceiling joists centered between each pair of current trusses?

Up here in east central WI we have mosquitos and winter weather, but next to nothing termites wise. The winter hard freeze cycles kills off a lot of nasty little critters up here.

Building is too big for that.

 

[mike4]

Photo

 

[Hank11]

Well, it looks pretty good from here, but I'm a full day's drive from where your building is.


Seriously, I'd get up on a ladder and inspect the whole thing inch by inch. This will require multiple judgment calls as you go. If in doubt, invent a fix for each questionable spot.

Did the guys who did the roof have anything to say about it?

 

[visionguru]

I use Abatron LiquidWood & WoodEpox. But would never use it for load carrying structural building element. Window sill or frame, trim, furniture, etc., ok.

I used Abatron and other wood hardeners, as prep for wood repair. Those things basically turn soft (rotted) surface layer into plastic, but definitely can not penetrate deep enough. Even if penetrated deep, I doubt it can enhance structural strength at all.

 

[CraigStu]

I have used a similar product on a boat where the wood under the fiberglass top skin was soft. But this was about 12"x18"x3/4" piece of plywood. I have also used something to soak into chair legs where they join the wooden seat. My experience was they both worked for those purposes. But also that the volume you would need for just one of those joists would be measured in many gallons. So in addition to all the cautions already mentioned, it would be a huge expense.

 

[PWC Repair]

I'd just start at one end and inspect. Any that you can easily stab a screwdriver into.....aren't doing much. Check up and down until you find good wood. Sister accordingly.

 

[Beamer]

Sorry to say that prefab trusses are never over-designed so consider what effect the damage has done in that respect.
You need to be proactive in replacing the structural integrity.