How to Repair a Rotted Double Plate
A sill plate is the bottom horizontal piece of a wall that the vertical pieces are attached to. Many type of houses are constructed with double sill plates. These plates are used when you build on slab or concrete foundations. The plate on the bottom is treated, but the plate that sits on top does not necessarily have to be. Over time these plates can become rotted and will need to be repaired. The best repair method is to simply replace them. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Reciprocating saw
- Chisel
- Hammer
- Clean rag
- 2-by-8 treated lumber
- 2-by-8 non-treated lumber
- Drywall screws
- Power drill
- Silicone sealant
- Caulk gun
- Utility knife
Instructions
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Locate the sill plate from the basement of your house. Find where the sill plate meets the joists, then mark the rotted area with a pencil. Drill out the rotted area with a reciprocating saw. Cut along the pencil mark with the saw on both ends until the blade reaches the concrete foundation.
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2
Slide a chisel between the sill plate and the concrete. Hammer down on the chisel at various locations along the double sill plate. Remove the plate by hand. Wipe the area where the double plate was located with a clean rag. Remove any dirt, debris or other dust in the way.
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3
Measure the size of the opening where the old double plate was located. Cut two pieces of lumber to replace the old plate. Mark on a pressure treated 2-by-8 piece of lumber and a non-pressure treated piece of lumber. Cut along the lines with a reciprocating saw. Set the pieces in the opening to verify they fit properly.
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Screw the two pieces to each other using drywall screws and a power drill. Line one directly on top of the other and make sure they are perfectly even before drilling. Set the new sill into plate between the joists and hammer it down until it is flush up against the concrete.
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Attach the sill plate to the joist with 4-inch drywall screws. Insert three screws at each end of the sill. Place a tube of silicone sealant into a caulk gun and cut off the tip of the sealant with a utility knife. Pull the trigger and run a bead of sealant around the sill to seal it in place.
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