Buddy and his wife are fixing up there grandmas old place in hopes of moving in but ...it's been a lil annoying, anyhow what would y'all do for this situation? Looks like they took young and grove birds to sandwiche these 2x4's ...but termites got to that ....and this joint slipped....but... They wouldn't use just 2x4's for a load bearing section right ? Then under it they have a 2x6 but it's just kinda joking on on either end by maybe 1/4" of material

Kinda reminds me of this movie.........

It's amazing seeing what's behind the curtain in old houses....lol

There's right, wrong, and a whole bunch of good enufs that seem to get the job done, after a fashion,

If he’s going to live there he needs to do it right the first time it will cost more but he will sleep better #1 get rid of the termite issue or it’s all wasted efforts.

Already got the termites taken care of

Had a similar problem when we moved in. The support beam in the basement was completely destroyed by termites, to the point I could push a knife into the beam with no resistance. The beam was way undersized at 6x6, and it only had 3 support columns along the whole span, also 6x6s eaten by termites.
I built 2 temporary walls along the whole length of the house, removed the old nasty stuff, and rebuilt it from scratch with properly sized beams, and steel columns with 24x24" footings, Afterwards I used the 2x4s from the temporary walls to build permanent walls in the basements to make 2 rooms. It was a ron of work but not terriblly expensive to do myself, and food learning experience as far as working with a building inspector.

Loosegoose has the correct solution.. Id do it sooner, rather than wait.... Not sure what the floor is like, but you may need to find solid ground or support it from underneath if there is a basement below...

“Young and groove birds.”

..."young and grove birds to sandwiche"... now there's as new one!

Tear out the bottom board. Remove those small vertical boards.
Slap in a new header under the old beam.
Then nail in new frame boards on each side.
It supported the roof this long. No reason to stick anymore into it than you have to. IMO!!!!

It worked for grama didn’t it!!!!!!

There's a southern based movie that has an appropriate quote "Run Forest!"

First thing is to find out if its load bearing, then go from there, it's possible that somebody just used a 2x4 for load bearing, then I would look into a laminated beam of appropriate size.

Well that's the main thing .. how exactly to you find out it's load bearing , especially if you don't have plans ?

Ok so looks like we had the right idea , just gotta get though the flooring to the base...but this hose isn't on a concrete pad so guess will ah e to use a cement paver or something....

Take the ceiling panels down to see which way the rafters go.

So if it has a dirt floor cellar that's fine wolfdog, not sure you're building codes down yonder but loosegoose has the right idea.

You can excavate by hand a proper sized footing, so far down, add rebar to it etc to reinforce the concrete and then you can set your posts on it. Steel posts or wood, either will work just make sure wood doesn't have direct contact with concrete. Then run whatever posts up as high as you need, rest your beam on it and tie it together. Shouldn't have to worry about any lateral load like you would on deck posts but can always sister another 2x6 along post on main floor if it's just getting drywalled, or cladded etc.

Alrighty thanks ! And I'm sorry but dumb question but why can't the wood be in contact with the cement?

moisture , then it rots

if you use treated you can do contact as it lasts longer.

Concrete, not cement. Geesh, people are trying to teach you.

You may be able to take out the ceiling, add blocking to the joist, and all thread a laminated beam a laminated beam across the opening with the beam/header resting on top of the walls at the ends. This would help to keep the opening clear of support columns.

or you could tear out he whole beam and replace it with a iron header bearing on the walls at the ends so to keep your opening clear.

No wood to concrete contact so a bit of metal flashing in between, no big deal but important.

I know the feeling wolf dog. Im thinking I will be beter off building a new house instead of fixing the old one. Once I figured the roof, windows , kitchen, 2 baths, and fixing the sloping floors. Yes i can do the work myself or at least have been able to. but the cost and my disability diagnosis makes me think building something new with handi cap in mind for the future may be my best option.

Engineered lumber is a consideration when size matters.

Yeaahhh I'm..ore of a rip it down at start from base up type of guy but my buddy is on a seriously small budget and he's (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) bent on this so .... I've offered to pay for a contractor to just come and look multiple times but

The little bit of construction work I used to do has me with a lop sided love hate relationship with renovating houses down here . No codes , so real set way , janky handyman fixes , you try and fix one thing and 10 other things break because they where all holding on by the same invisible thread. Swear most of the houses down here built around the 60's-80's where just thrown up to get stuff built ..and idk if it's a Southern phenomenon though because when I talk to Northern guys about this stuff there like

It's up here too if the house is old enough...

My place is over a hundred years old, full 2x4 rafters, 2x6 ceiling joists, same for floors, needed to jack up the floor to level it....but by and large its pretty well constructed as it's weathered numerous blizzards, hurricanes, nor easters, and still standing! lol

Like I said earlier, it's amazing how many non code construction methods seem to work....good enough....lol

That's odd. As a commercial carpenter construction quality has gotten worse, with the south of the border labor force, over the last 30 years. Of course, redneck engineering can be quite odd too.

So much fun guys