Freedom
06-20-2012, 09:41 AM
This is a project which slipped past everyone -- including OUR housing inspection company -- when I bought the house 10 years back. Within 4 days, we discovered the issues ourselves. The original owners put a large addition on the back, which includes the Family Room, and the Master Suite - Dad's bedroom and bathroom. They did not extend the basement, so there is only a 4 foot crawl space under this huge addition. As with everything else they did, they did this on the cheap. The support boards under the flooring are the wrong size, and the addition sags.
Well, back then, Dad bought hydraulic jacks, and face masks with oxygen capsules, and crawled under to put the jacks in. He raised the addition slowly, a bit at a time, over 5 weeks, and got it all level. Within 3 years though, those sank and we were back to a bellied floor. We just coped and did other work. But always talked about having this fixed properly. I had forgotten until we moved furniture out on Tuesday, I had 2 shims under the aquarium to hold it level! With Dad out of the house for a few weeks for physical therapy, I decided this is the time to do the work.
Here is a picture from the family room, looking at the doorway to Dad's bedroom.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5071Small.jpg
You can see the lovely new ceiling we had put in the Family Room 3 years back. I've been told to expect many cracks in the celiling. Sigh.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5065Small.jpg
The door frame on the left is 1.5 INCHES higher than the door frame on the right corner! That is a BIG drop in a short space. Here is the wall where we normally have our recliners. On the other side is the bedroom closet (center) and the bathroom (far right). The bathroom is quite heavy, it has a tiled walk in shower stall along with all the other fixtures, and this is what is pulling everything down.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5064Small.jpg
They have started in the Family Room, hoping PERHAPS they can work underneath and not have to work in Dad's bedroom. First they had to pull up all the hardwood floor - we had that put in when we bought the house so it is only 10 years old. Out it went. Then they ripped out the plywood subfloor. Now they have access to work on the joists / beams. Just the weight of the floor and subfloor are such that in removing them, the door frame shifted back UP some. The green plastic is along the kitchen and dining area, to keep insulation, dust, debris etc. from going all through the house.
One of the things we did over the years was have insulation put in all around where the foundation meets the uprights. For the Family Room, this made a huge improvement in keeping that space warm in winter. We also had a vapor barrier put in on top of the dirt floor, to hold down odor, moisture, and so on. Not clear how much of that will be disturbed and need to re done.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5063Small.jpg
Here you see some of the levels, including a foundation level, in place. Looking at the measuring bubble, the floor is level. But the problem is, looking under the level there are huge gaps between it and the beams.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5069Small.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5068Small.jpg
There are SPOT issues, as well. Here is a lamp sitting on the FOUNDATION sill, this is the corner where I had the aquarium!
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5070Small.jpg
The plan is to jack it all up, then "sister up" the beams in there with the proper beams, set at the right heights. At first we thought the beams were 1 x 6's, and we were going to put in 1 by 10's. Once the flooring came up, the boards in there are 1 by 8's and are not all at the same height. So the new boards will also be 1 x 8's.
As with each and every project to date on this house (and there have been many!), we have hit a new issue. All the plumbing lines to the bathroom have been pulled off kilter, and are leaking. The plumber comes in tomorrow afternoon; he will likely tell the general contractor to get the beams raised and level, then before the new floor is put in he will repair -- or more likely replace! -- all the plumbing. I had him coming as we knew of a small leak in Dad's shower, ONLY when the water was turned ON, and he was coming in to address that. Gosh won't he be surprised when he arrives to find he has a big project!
The cats, well 7 of them are down cellar for the duration; and I put Cuddles in with Mandy in the bedroom. The dogs are with me, and it is a bit awkward as we have to go out the front and walk around through the gate to the back yard. I can manage it for a temporary situation, though. Tasha is quite nerved up by this whole process. Willy thinks most of the crew are great and here just to pet HIM! He also keeps poking his nose under the plastic to check job progress -- I do have baby gates in place, but Willy has never let those stop him getting where he wants to go! Lacey is in a slump, just too much chaos and change all at once - Dad gone and now his area all off limits. So I baby her quite a bit.
Dad of course is upset he is missing all the fun!
BTW I did NOT buy this house as a fixer upper! With all the issues, it sure would have qualifies as one, though!!!
Well, back then, Dad bought hydraulic jacks, and face masks with oxygen capsules, and crawled under to put the jacks in. He raised the addition slowly, a bit at a time, over 5 weeks, and got it all level. Within 3 years though, those sank and we were back to a bellied floor. We just coped and did other work. But always talked about having this fixed properly. I had forgotten until we moved furniture out on Tuesday, I had 2 shims under the aquarium to hold it level! With Dad out of the house for a few weeks for physical therapy, I decided this is the time to do the work.
Here is a picture from the family room, looking at the doorway to Dad's bedroom.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5071Small.jpg
You can see the lovely new ceiling we had put in the Family Room 3 years back. I've been told to expect many cracks in the celiling. Sigh.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5065Small.jpg
The door frame on the left is 1.5 INCHES higher than the door frame on the right corner! That is a BIG drop in a short space. Here is the wall where we normally have our recliners. On the other side is the bedroom closet (center) and the bathroom (far right). The bathroom is quite heavy, it has a tiled walk in shower stall along with all the other fixtures, and this is what is pulling everything down.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5064Small.jpg
They have started in the Family Room, hoping PERHAPS they can work underneath and not have to work in Dad's bedroom. First they had to pull up all the hardwood floor - we had that put in when we bought the house so it is only 10 years old. Out it went. Then they ripped out the plywood subfloor. Now they have access to work on the joists / beams. Just the weight of the floor and subfloor are such that in removing them, the door frame shifted back UP some. The green plastic is along the kitchen and dining area, to keep insulation, dust, debris etc. from going all through the house.
One of the things we did over the years was have insulation put in all around where the foundation meets the uprights. For the Family Room, this made a huge improvement in keeping that space warm in winter. We also had a vapor barrier put in on top of the dirt floor, to hold down odor, moisture, and so on. Not clear how much of that will be disturbed and need to re done.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5063Small.jpg
Here you see some of the levels, including a foundation level, in place. Looking at the measuring bubble, the floor is level. But the problem is, looking under the level there are huge gaps between it and the beams.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5069Small.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5068Small.jpg
There are SPOT issues, as well. Here is a lamp sitting on the FOUNDATION sill, this is the corner where I had the aquarium!
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2012/June%2020%202012%20Addition%20Renovations/IMG_5070Small.jpg
The plan is to jack it all up, then "sister up" the beams in there with the proper beams, set at the right heights. At first we thought the beams were 1 x 6's, and we were going to put in 1 by 10's. Once the flooring came up, the boards in there are 1 by 8's and are not all at the same height. So the new boards will also be 1 x 8's.
As with each and every project to date on this house (and there have been many!), we have hit a new issue. All the plumbing lines to the bathroom have been pulled off kilter, and are leaking. The plumber comes in tomorrow afternoon; he will likely tell the general contractor to get the beams raised and level, then before the new floor is put in he will repair -- or more likely replace! -- all the plumbing. I had him coming as we knew of a small leak in Dad's shower, ONLY when the water was turned ON, and he was coming in to address that. Gosh won't he be surprised when he arrives to find he has a big project!
The cats, well 7 of them are down cellar for the duration; and I put Cuddles in with Mandy in the bedroom. The dogs are with me, and it is a bit awkward as we have to go out the front and walk around through the gate to the back yard. I can manage it for a temporary situation, though. Tasha is quite nerved up by this whole process. Willy thinks most of the crew are great and here just to pet HIM! He also keeps poking his nose under the plastic to check job progress -- I do have baby gates in place, but Willy has never let those stop him getting where he wants to go! Lacey is in a slump, just too much chaos and change all at once - Dad gone and now his area all off limits. So I baby her quite a bit.
Dad of course is upset he is missing all the fun!
BTW I did NOT buy this house as a fixer upper! With all the issues, it sure would have qualifies as one, though!!!