I just poke at it with a screw driver to find rot, you can easily tell because rot just crumbles/falls apart. I just did this last year with my deck and I had to sister some boards in places where I found a bit of rot at the surface that would affect the deck boards sitting flat but not impacting the strength of the joist itself.

In my experience, Ace has more knowledgeable people working, who are actually very happy to help.

I just wanted to follow up, I removed one of the other handles to see what was in there and got this:

https://imgur.com/a/sCLxIaX

This looks a bit different than other things that have been shared so far and not sure if this is a different process or whatnot?

I just wanted to follow up, I removed one of the other handles to see what was in there and got this:

https://imgur.com/a/sCLxIaX

This looks a bit different than other things that have been shared so far and not sure if this is a different process or whatnot?

No. The generator requires a separate line.

So I just took it apart, and have these pieces — which looks so different from everything else that has been shared:

https://imgur.com/a/sCLxIaX

And you will never find it again when you need it. Possibly the day after you buy another one

Oh sorry for being misleading. It’s a welded steel frame with 2x6s laid over them to give area to screw to when laying the decking. All the decking ends overlap steel crossbars and tie into the underlying 2x6. (Edit- I assume it’s a standard way of building them because all of the neighbor docks are the same).

So it’s structurally sound, but the boards underneath are the first to rot (due to the lateral surface area available to hold moisture). Followed by the decking board ends where they’re in contact with the underlying wood.

Re: your last statement, that’s what I was curious about too.

You are really going to have a pro come and assess the situation and give you recommendations.

If it's "very old" it's probably not plastic which has been prevalent in the plumbing industry for the past 20 years or so.

It's probably POT metal.

100% this answer. I was hoping to do what OP is describing last summer, but ended up replacing nearly all the framing too. While the joists seemed OK, behind the ledger board attached to the house was NOT. Carpenter ants had eaten into part of the plywood sheathing and I’m so glad I caught it.

OP - do yourself a favor and check behind the ledger board before you start planking over the joists. You’ll at least have a chance to add flashing tape if there isn’t any already.

You need to get an assessment from a structural engineer.

Thank god! I was worried about my lungs for a second there /s

Yeah that's your classic tar paper. Doesn't look like you have mold to worry about ... Just the asbestos and lead.

Sounds like there is a couple of issues with the pump. Taking up to twenty minutes to fill the tank sounds like the valve plate has a broken high pressure Reed, but getting pressure out of the oil fill sounds like the rings are shot and pressure is blowing by into the crankcase. You can replace the valve plate fairly easily but if the rings are shot then you’re likely going to be piling money into a repair that isn’t cost effective.

A chair mat made for carpets has little nubs on it which reduce movement. You could use contact cement to stick it to the board.

The company I used to test the dry wall only charged $50 a test. If the plaster is not asbestos I think I can handle it on my own. If it is asbestos that's probably not something I want to do myself.

Thought I would do that Initially. However the mats are a little worn out and flattened, so I’m not too sure how effective the Velcro hook side would be. Thanks though

There are a lot of things that you can be frugal and cheap with. Gas connections are not one of them. If you have to come on Reddit and ask if there are any code violations that you should be worried about. How are you going to handle the transfer switch from the electrical panel to the generator? Do you even know how to do that without coming to Reddit? If you are using the generator, it is going to be a lot more gas than any stove would require. This is not a DIY unless you are in the trades and know exactly what you are doing.

If you go down the rabbit hole of testing I hope your budget handle that. Mask up with good respirator, googles, and plenty of ventilation and rent a small dumpster.

I’ll look into it. Thanks

I've wondered about that but I think it's always been a duplex. It has separate basements, shows up on maps around 1900 as being two addresses, and has transoms over the entrance doors. This area was very working class around that time and this would have been a large house and pretty crappy house for someone who could afford a house this big.

But yeah, just trying to get all my ducks in a row to make an informed decision on the demo.

Lead paint isn't a big issue but asbestos is. My uncle never thought much about it till he found he had mesothelioma at 55. I would never screw around trying to deal with asbestos.

Velcro hook side?

That’s what I ended up doing. Was considering doing an expansion joint using silicone but decided to just risk it and deal with cracked grout later if it becomes a problem