last winter i jacked up a part of the lower 1/2 of the manor - this year i was determined to finish the job!
please don't judge me on this - the mess is not my doing!!!
basically the whole middle of the lower half has joists (2x6 not 2x8) running across creosote beams that rest on 2, yes, 2 phone pole sections buried in the ground - nice huh?
for starter, i got these old car jacks from my brother g - i painted them with a metal mistint i got for cheap!
i did the easy one first - jack on pt lumber glued to a piece of concrete ... this on has a clearance of 12 inches - oh yeah - i HAD FUN!!!!!
pipe wrench and turn - it pushes in both ways as in compacts the ground while i jack..
this angle gives you a good view - shovelling out the dirt was a real chore!!!
all finished - later on i will give it another twist or so... the goal is NOT to even the floor, but stop the sagging..
next up the other side under the bathroom - 19" here so i am using different tactics... jack and press...
move to one side, repeat and place in section of phone pole on hand!
and shim with ceder shingles - you can get a big pack of crap-grade shingles @ home depot for less than 10 bucks - they make awesome large shims - i didn`t trim the shims as i may have to drive them in a bit more when the house settles. I was sure to use a rubber mallet!
here is a nice piece of tamarack - looks short, eh?
that`s because it is! - this spot under the bedroom is only about 8 inches in height!!!
and here it is finished and shimmed!
next i added some support under the load-bearing wall - this spot is about 19 inches in height...
I used a phone pole section again..
and a railway tie to span 2 joists
finally - a 4x4 spanning two joists ..
and another... you can see my previous support in the back at the right..
in all i placed 7 extra supports in the basement- each one will support no less than a ton (probably way more). that is plenty to keep the sagging at bay!! case closed!!!
kymber`s last post mentioned the glue-sniffing squirrels...
it`s not a joke... here is the nozzle on some carb cleaner..
and..
the pressure valve off a gas can!!!!
speaking of which - i gave up and took the ATV into the shop, it needed a lot of work and the carb was filthy again after a new one last spring - they cleaned it and found the culprit see that gas gauge?
out it comes - the metal parts were rusting!!!
here is a good look - dropping rust crud into the gas!!!!!
so i removed all the metal and re-sealed the plastic top. after a week from the shop - the atv stopped working - i had to clean the carb again as the float needle stuck and drained all the gas - i took off the gas tank and got the last out then put it all back together - the fuel valve on the petcock won't fully close so i used small vice grips to clamp the fuel line shut for good measure. additionally the battery wasn't working quite right either as it had fully discharged too many times - i got a better one and it comes out after each use and into the trickle charger. FINALLY i think i have the thing figured out!
i hate engines...
winter so far has been kinda crappy - either warmer but rainy/snowy and windy or sunny and frigid, and windy. but it has also been really gray and a little depressing!
but spring will be here soon!
cheers all!
Wow Jam good job on crawling under there. I would probably have had a panic attack
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I used a shovel to clear "ditches" under my grandparents house to re-plumb the gas, all the while watching out for copperheads as I slithered along on my back. A couple years later, my aunt inherited the place and burned it down so she could build a NEW house there.
ReplyDeleteWow Jam! I am very impressed. You are one righteous engineering genius!
ReplyDeleteI spent a summer doing heating/air-conditioning work and had to crawl under some houses and found out I have a mild discomfort of small tight spaces. And spiders webs. I hate spider webs.
What is the piece of concrete you are using - something you brought in or something that was already there?
Lhiats, TB
So the burning question is while your under ground what is kymber doing? Are you done shoring up the place?? Hey I'll swap you your ATV to my van with the blown engine...LOL you sure stay busy.
ReplyDeleteYa that looks like fun getting under there. I guess it's better than having to do foundation work though at least pylon work is a bit easier overall and less expensive.
ReplyDeleteI have found I don't hate engines as much as the cheap way they are put together. There is no excuse for them using subpar materials that are going to rust like that. I think that is why I like older machines the way I do.
excellent work as usual Jamb. Glad nothing gave way while you were lying there. Getting your squished body out might of been a real chore! On to the next thing I guess! It never seems to end......
ReplyDeleteHey Jambaloney,
ReplyDeleteI bet you feel a big difference in the house now after leveling out everything. Great job!
Those squirrels you have up there are really something else. I'd be careful they don't start chewing the wood on your home. We have them all over here however, they haven't chewed on things stored in our utility areas. They do love messing around in the garden come spring time.
Hugs and love to you and Sweet Kymber.
Your Friend,
Sandy
J, all that working under the house looks kind of dangerous to me. I hope you are being really careful!
ReplyDeleteGreat work, Jambaloney! I bet you'll feel a big difference now that it is all shored up proper.
ReplyDeleteThat squirrel sure is a nuisance. Time to break out the pellet gun. And I hope you get some sunshine soon. We had similar gray skies this winter and today we finally had some sunshine BUT the blackbirds have arrived so there is hope yet.
Greetings to kymber, too. Hope you both have recovered from that cold.
I would be very careful using wood to shore up the joists. Even Nova Scotia, termites cause huge amounts of damage. Using would to prop up a joist, gives them a natural path to get up into the rest of the wood supports.
ReplyDeleteGood job on the supports. We have a couple of low spots at the cabin that need adjusting, a project for spring.
ReplyDeleteBut there might be spiders under there so there will be some death to everything bombs tossed under.
Small engines are a nightmare! I have too many that have to be kept running. The last handful of years I've made a couple days in the spring and fall where I do nothing but the routine maintenance in the back of the manual for all my small engines getting them ready for spring and putting them to bed for winter or vice versa. That has helped quite a bit but there are always still problems and frustrations. I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteThat is good work...well done.
ReplyDelete