Eeeghads!
I just responded in the thread dry space under a deck about the idea of fitting things together backwards instead of proceeding with a plan from beginning…
Just this week, I have been jacking up a house three feet to set new posts and piers under it. The poor little house is on a side hill (low slope) and the back corners had sunk into the ground about 8-10″. Owner had asked me how to go about fixing the rot and my answer was, “Well, the first thing I would do is jack it up a couple of feet to get it out of the ground like it should be” Short pricing discussion and there I was, doing something I never planned to do.
So I’m nearly finished with it, putting in the knee braces on posts yesterday, when the guy says, “I decided that I’m going to put an addition on this house around back here.”
I’m sure that my initial groan is still echoing under that house. Had I only known, I would have jacked it up another eight einches, because now, to do what he wants, the back corner would be sitting down in the mud about eight or ten inches….
Excellence is its own reward!
Replies
Never fails does it. Sounds like me. A customer starts with a question, I finish with... no, not possible, unless... Ah, there's the rub, doomed as doomed can be!
I get slowly rolled into projects I didn't intend to do because I offered a solution they didn't think of. They say that makes me so.....smart. I doubt it. Then, like you,while in the mist of doom they share an,"Oh...by the way, we want to.... since your here". And it's always something related that would have been nice to share yesterday.
Ah hhhhh! To late.
Two years ago I volunteered to help our church with a Habitat house. I decided since they didn't know me well, to play dumb. You know how it is, you get tired of being the boss or leader. Just dumb Bob sharing a moment of simple labors.
First day the boss has staked out the house for a foundation dig, batter boards and all, grade stakes. I'm the first there and notice the plans backwards. "Hey Jim,"I say "show me where the garage is on this plan". When he points it out for dumb old me he realized he's backwards and in mid sentence stops and looks at me,"You read blueprints don't you?" A little I say.
We move everything, everyone shows up and the digging starts. "You don't have to dig as deep down hill there, everyone"he says. "Actually Jim if were 4' deep here on the high end I think we'll need to be much deeper on the low end, you know, 18" below the frost line and all, code?"I sez. Damn I became the job foreman. Turned fun into just another job.
Still good cause and would do it again but I really gotta wear a gag.
"I really gotta wear a gag."
To keep from laughing?
The plumber loved me on this one, because he's been getting calls fro leaks from previous owners and couldn't get to them without disabling the flooring inside. Now he can scoot right in.
All the neighborhood has been walking by to watch and inspect this job, you know - the sidewalk superintendent types, all retired. When I was leaving the other day, I noticed that half the little cottages on that street are in the same condition. One guy has already asked me to look at his...I gotta hurry up, grab my jacks and cribbing and run! Got better jobs all lined up already. This was a filler on the schedule - good timing, shady spot, ocean view, nice customer...but there's only so much a guy can do.
I guess his addition will have a step up inside so he can stay out of the mud. I already openned my mouth there too though. Said, "Since this room is around back, why not make it two stories so the bedroom window has a view of the water?"
"Hmmmmmmmm.....Good idea there...".
Excellence is its own reward!
"the sidewalk superintendent types, all retired"
hey!bobl Volo Non Voleo
Since everyone else has the same problems, I suspect that when these lots were graded there was no consideration to current grading or footing codes. Long ago, when the road was graded, the dirt was just pushed down the hill to make a level lot next to the road.
When the houses were built, the rear portions of the houses had footings on loose fill. A 12" or 24" deep footing may be fine in lots of places, but not on loose disturbed dirt. The depth of the footing shall be into hard firm natural ground. Sometime that could exceed 5' deep!
Good news, the corner of the house has settled 90% of what its going to do, except when there is a water leak under the house. Most people just want it to be fixed cheaply (jacking up and fill the gap) not a whole new expensive engineered footing. Maybe using those house trailer screw jacks will take care of future settlement.
Yeah. I understand all that. materials I can handle.
It's trying to read minds and predict their future decisions that I'm venting about. Gotta run along now and cal the psychic builders network. LOL
You are partly right about the infill. These are seventy year old shore cottages. The hill side backed up behind them drains moisture down in under al of them on the way to the Labrador current. Some of these bolders I've been digging out are all different types of rock. Glacial fill is one thing but this all shows signs that these rocks were gathered into a low spot to improve the property enough to be buildable so therre is a colection of rubble and swamp soil/roots mixed. Occasional outdroppings of ledge. so that some portions want to be anchored on it about 6-8" down while other corners can be eight feet of muck and boulder. The old was built on brick piers that were seemingly placed right on top of the soil to elevate maybe a foot.
I went down anywhere from 8" to 62" and poured a small pad over 3/4" stone, then set PT 6x6 wrapped for slickem with kneebraces to sills.
Now tell me how to know the HO mind before he does.
;).
Excellence is its own reward!
Now tell me how to know the HO mind before he does.
Call Miss Cleo! Only $3.99 a minute........
:>)Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
Has she got a phone in her jail cell?
Here's another EEEghads for ya -
My wife said she was passing a house on the way home and a summer lady was lugging out what appeared to be a very heavy garbage can, dragging and scuffling along. Stopping to help, she heard that this lady had just discovered after many summers in that house, that her canister for the central vacumn needs to be emptied once in a while.
I guess that dust and hairball package was packed like concrete.
Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin
Regarding needing the back addition to be higher - I think that is why they invented split level. I have seen a couple done like that. If you do the split level high enough, you don't even need a second story to get the windows higher...