Hi all,
Well, I’m building this garage, and I have my 1/2 sheathed, 16′ high, 24′ long gable wall almost ready to go up, so I call my local rental place to reserve some wall-jacks for tommorrow, and guess what? They don’t have any! Neither do any of the other rental places in my area (Melbourne, Fl). Most of them answer my query with “What’s a wall-jack?” or “Do you mean a drywall lift?” Four friends and I tried to lift the wall – we got about half-way, but it’s top-heavy because it’s the wall with the garage doors, and we didn’t have near the muscle to get past the 45 degree point. So now I’m wondering how to get this wall up without renting a crane.
Admittedly I should have known better – most residential construction here is concrete block, but I didn’t think wood frame was so foreign that the big rental places wouldn’t carry such equipment. I tried a couple of rental places in the Orlando area, but no joy there for wall jacks either. If anyone knows of a place that carries them in Orlando, I’d sure appreciate an email!
So my question is, how do I raise this wall without hiring an expensive crane? One option I do have is to leave the wall on the ground, build the final wall upright in place, and then raise the wall with the crane I’m getting to help lift my trusses.
Any other suggestions?
Andy
Replies
Buy some wall jacks, then sell or rent them out when you are done.
Excellence is its own reward!
I've raised several walls using a Genie Lift ("material lift" or "duck jack" as it is more commonly known). About $45/day from the rental centers in my area. It's basically just a manually operated telescopic lift.
Kevin Halliburton
"I believe that architecture is a pragmatic art. To become art it must be built on a foundation of necessity." - I.M. Pei -
Truck, cable, and pivot poles?
More friends?
Jeff Buck?
SamT
Hire a cheap crane. Does your lumber yard have a boom truck? Any cherrypickers around you? Any truck with a boom could do it, and you probably just have to pay them for an hour. Hmm, how about a tow truck, use their winch.
But, if you were able to raise it 45 degrees, support it there and catch your breath. Get a couple other hands if you have to. Picture the wall standing, and just do it. You might have some luck pulling it up with a car or truck if you get it partway there, or get the cable off the ground so you leverage the force up more.
Make sure you secure the bottom well, or you'll have a mess on your hands, no matter how you raise it.
Andy, make your own jacks. Each jack consists of two 2x8 with 2x8 blocking at the bottom, and 4'-0" centers. You need a strap hinge at the bottom . The bottom of the hoist consists of a 3-0" 2x8 nailed into the double 2x8 vertical boom portion. This now will look like a T shape. Add 2x8 bracing on the flat from the horozontal 2x8 to the boom. These pieces are about 18" long , plywood triangular gussets would do instead if you like. Now bore a hole 3" down and about the center of the 2x8. The hole should be sized for a round smooth bar or pipe. I used a 3/4" rigid wall pipe.
Now you need a comealong, I used a half ton with 15'-0" of cable. The cable is too short , I had to lift part way with a chain atttached to the comealong and framing, then prop the wall and remove the chain.Larger comealongs have more cable.The cable hook goes over the top pipe and hooks on top plates.The other end of the comealong with the lever hooks on another pipe going thru the boom at a comfortable height.
To use, stand boom up,lag screw hinge to the boom and floor right next to framing. Pull cable out and hook around top plate. Crank lever and the boom will raise wall and lay against the framing at the same time. Raise to 85 degrees , position braces temporarily . Slacken line a few inches and push to ninety degrees by hand.
I have done this on 8'-0" high walls by myself, longest wall was 30'-0" with one jack in center ( only own one comealong).I would use two comealongs because of the height , not so much the span. The boom should be 24'-0" 2x8 's , because of the height. I hope I made this clear, after the first one you could probably make the second one in an hour.These jacks work on the principal of the Proctor wall jacks.I raised 30'-0" walls in about three or four minutes .
Mike
Edited 9/3/2003 1:19:54 PM ET by MIKEK4244
I did a search in the forums and found a few messages that suggested pump jacks. Any opinions on using these?
Andy
I tried that once.
strap hinges at bottom of poles but it got hairy near top as it all pivoted since the regular pump isn't intended to hold on for that position.
And that was only on an 8' wall. You would need a tall stepladder to do it for yours.
Excellence is its own reward!
I believe Qual-Craft makes a kinda cheesy version off wall jacks that go for very short coin. They work like their pumpjacks....they climb up a coupla two by fours nailed together. When I say short money, I mean like sixty bucks or so for the set (if I remember correctly) compared to the $1200 pigs I've got. (Proctor...expensive, but worth every penny). I wouldn't lift a gable with 'em, but a garage wall? Sure. 'Specially your wall! :)
Check out Tool Crib of the North or google qual-craft