Are those the same stairs you took the 400 pound pig down? If so, I'd say you were very lucky.
Regards. Max. K 4 O D S. Email: [email protected] Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com To subscribe to the fun with transistors group send an email to. [email protected] To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Rossi" <[email protected]> To: "Blind Handyman List" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 8:54 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Freakin termites. > Over the weekend, I finally ripped down the basement stairs as part of the > basement finishing project. I will build new steps once I finish the > floor. I knew that the stairs were pretty badly compromised by termite > damage, it was visibly obvious. However, when I ripped down the stairs it > was pretty horrifying to see just how bad the damage was. > > Firstly, the stringers for the steps had been put in place before the > cement floor was poured, so that is how the termites got access. The > stringers went right through to the dirt. I expected to have to dig out > some old wood from these holes before patching with cement. Well, the > termites had taken care of that for me. I literally just vacuumed out the > dust, there were no pieces of wood at all. > > Several of the treads I was able to just lift off since the wood around > the nails had been completely eaten away. > > A couple of the treads broke in half as I pried them off. The treads had > been seriously compromised as well. > > After I had removed about four or five treads, the lower part of the one > stringer just fell off the wall. > > The wood of that stringer was just layers of paper and dust. What I mean > is that the termites ate parts of the wood, but not others, so it made > this weird layering effect. You could actually flick through the 2 by 12 > like it was a deck of cards or the pages of a book. > > Absolutely amazing to see the extent of the damage these little insects > can cause. > > Not termite related, but the upper end of the outer stringer was also > pretty scary to see. It only overlapped the surrounding joists by about > half or three quarters of an inch. There were several nails driven in at > crazy angles, some of them barely catching wood in both connecting pieces. > > Anyway, I cemented in the holes in the floor. laid down the last two > joists, but since I need to cut the larger sheets outside, and it was > raining, I didn't get any further than that. > > Hopefully, the floor will be done next weekend and I can start on the > stairs. > > -- > Blue skies. > Dan Rossi > Carnegie Mellon University. > E-Mail: [email protected] > Tel: (412) 268-9081 > > > ------------------------------------ > > Send any questions regarding list management to: > [email protected] > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 > Or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following > address for more information: > http://www.jaws-users.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [email protected]! Groups Links > > > >
