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With the discovery of water damage in our old house a couple of weeks ago, OPLAN "Move one house clockwise" seemed to be inexorably headed towards the situation in the above photo. As more demolition occurred on the house, more and different areas were affected. Finally, we believed all had been discovered and remedial repairs commenced.
Unfortunately, that meant extensive areas of the underflooring had to be removed and replaced.
This small hole, which was thought to be easily patched, turned out to be the equivalent of a black hole.
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| The above hole was in the corner in the right edge of the picture |
"No Beans, you optimist you, it was not"
Looking at the underside of the cabinet from the opening in front revealed more good news.
Oh, well, we were thinking about replacing the cabinetry at some point anyways. So after a long 4 days....
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| /The Living Room hole was fixed. (Bottom picture is taken from the other side of the hole than the top.) |
As was the bedroom, which butted up against the main bath.
As to the kitchen?
The floor installers should begin working as scheduled this morning and all the areas of the house that deal with water, have new plywood subflooring.
Crisis handled. All it takes is good minions and a metric crap-ton of moola.
Whilst taking a break and catching my breath from raking the Guest House's yard and replanting grass, I happened to be sitting in the garage (Mrs J has a thing about me walking into the house with muddy shoes.) I stretched a bit and was looking up at the ceiling, when I re-remembered that the construction foreman had left a opening there (Covered with a removable piece of plywood, Beans). No ladder attached, so I broke out the step ladder, pushed aside the board and took a gander.
Looks like I've found a better storage place than what I'd been discussing in last week's post. Rafters I can easily access, so the Winch idea will most likely work (Moltke's dictum is still a factor). The fact that it doesn't have a built in ladder shouldn't be a big factor as I think stuff stored here will only be accessed once or twice a year.
We'll see.
On a historical note, Mrs J kept track of all the airport codes for all the places we visited last year and had them put on a T-shirt for me to wear.
Hysterical, no?
Peace out, all y'all!
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| Train Wreck averted! Source |
I found a pull-down ladder works very nicely when the chancellor of the exchequer decides the attic area requires a more than once or twice a year visit.
ReplyDeleteWe had one in the office where I used to work. The springs made pulling down the ladder a breeze, and a few sheets of plywood added a place to store old files.
DeleteBoron,
DeleteYeah, I did a quick search over the weekend and couldn't find a good match between the dimensions of the opening and the price I'm willing to pay My extension ladder is stored near that opening, isn't that heavy to move, works and doesn't cost hundreds of dollars.
Jess, the above reply doesn't mean that sometime in the future, my back and knees won't win the argument instead of my wallet. Just have to prioritize the direction the rapidly diminishing stuff in my wallet goes to.
Deletejuvat, you will appreciate the pull-down ladder sooner than later. I put one in my attic a few years back. Old age (did I really say that?) deterioration of ladder climbing ability strikes swiftly and relentlessly.
DeleteOuch! Finding all that certainly inflates the budget. Good to see Mrs. J has kept her sense of humor during the travails of the past year. Think I've got you beat on the codes though, Front Yard, Upper Deck, Lower Deck and Garage...........:)
ReplyDeleteDang, Nylon, you had to pull out the Dueling Decks, dincha? Does including visits to the Barn counter them?
DeleteYa....dang! Barn does counter them, I bow to superior ah....er.....wait.....wut was I saying?
DeleteThe horses are good listeners when I need to let off some steam. They know just when to nod their head or snort in derision depending on the subject. They've also been known to turn around and face away from me when I start talking about some politicians. It's very descriptive.
DeleteI used the open joists of the garage to lift a small lathe. I cut a couple 2x4s as "dead men". They were pushed up under the joists and a piece of 3 inch steel tubing was used as the crossbeam for the winch. Worked a treat. In my head I see a dumbwaiter, in the classical sense, not the matrimonial sense...
ReplyDeleteWhen you said the other side of the hole, I was confused. I thought you meant the under the floor view... I need more coffee...
STxAR,
DeleteI think that's essentially the plan I'm going to take. I also think I'm going to build a sled that rides up the latter to stabilize any loads we're putting in the attic. Project starts as soon as I get adequately caffinated.
On another note. I hope to work up to work my way up to dumbwaiter some day. I think I'm stuck at the "moron busboy" stage most days.
juvat. The roofers used a gasoline powered gizmo that attached to a ladder to lift shingles to our roof.
DeleteI'm not suggesting a gasoline powered attic access hoist on your ladder, but run a search on ladder hoists and see if there is something you can file the serial numbers off of and recreate on a scale that works for you.
I will take some photos of what we did and forward them to you via Sarge.
Remember, an attic wench is not the same as an attic winch.
Thanks, That should be helpful.
DeleteThat was the next thing to come out of Mrs J's mouth when I mentioned a winch in the attic.
juvat. Great minds. :)
DeleteJuvat, it is readily apparent to me that the appropriate propitiation of the remodeling deities failed to occur prior to the initiation of the remodeling event...
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think I would have lost my patience. I always do when the "minor repair" becomes the "This is what else we found when looking under the hood..."
THBB,
DeleteWe knew there were going to be bad spots, and once the tile in the kitchen was removed and we saw that stained MDF, we both suspected (almost to the point of certainty) that the cabinet was dead meat. The carpenters provided options to save us money as new discoveries were made, but...The old saying in construction came into play. "You can have it quick, good or cheap, pick two" We needed the first, and chose the second.
That having been said, it was a long hard week and I'm glad (finger's crossed) it's over.
Dang but that's a lot of work and expense. One of the things I always keep in mind as a homeowner, if it's broken I have to fix it, or pay someone to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI think all that would've had me overnighting at WNF! For a day or two perhaps!
Wow.
Let's just say, our local supermarket's Wine and Beer Manager's eyes light up when he sees me walk in.
DeleteIt is astonishing how expensive a cheap plumber can be.
ReplyDeleteA lot of truth in that statement! Although, the guilty party in this case wasn't inexpensive. When we went looking for a new plumber after the incidents, we got a recommendation from someone. He's a bit older, semi-retired and only takes jobs from recommended folks. He offers the three options mentioned above, but will steer you to the "Good" option. And his prices are reasonable. I pray for his continued good health.
DeleteHow about: 'in the US of A, house owns YOU!'
ReplyDeleteFrank
The house, the bank, the Appraisal District...The list is long!
DeleteYes. In the end we are just leasing our lives from the Government.
DeleteAnd there's a simple way to test this. Just stop paying property taxes. The gov will sell your property out from underneath you.
Grrr...
It would be nice if the property owner, when given the tax evaluation for said property, had the option of saying 'SOLD'.
DeleteThe government agency has to buy the property for that price, and has to turn around and sell on the private market within two years.
Bet evaluations would start looking more in line with reality than with the govt tax wish fulfillment.
Frank
Beans,
DeleteToo true.
Frank,
DeleteI've been saying that for years. I also say it should be based on what YOU payed for it. Not the price of a recently sold "comparable", where some schmoe from, O I don't know say California, who just sold his 1000 sq ft bungalow for a cool million, now has to invest in property. "How much you asking for this house (a comparable to mine)?
"We're asking 400K"
"Well, I can't offer you any less than 900K"
"Sold"
Guess who's tax bill just went up by 125%?
Don't tell me that's not how it works, we just got our first appraisal. Now we got to dig out the actual loan paperwork and contract for our, fortunately, less than one year old house and go argue with the appraiser.
When we got our first tax bill here, Sweet Little Wife thought it was a bit on the high side, so she looked up "comps" in the neighborhood, and appealed it.
DeleteWonder of wonders, they agreed with her, lowered our tax bill, and thanked her for "Keeping us on our toes". I was flabbergasted. Try that in Kommiefornia, and you're liable to get a HIGHER bill...
Ouch! Amazing how those little jobs can expand into big jobs. At least you are maintaining your sanity despite the challenges. - Barry
ReplyDeleteBarry,
DeleteAgree with the first two statements. As to the last, well, Sarge is wont to say "The issue is in doubt."
Well, that sucketh.You and Mrs. J have certainly "endeavored to persevere".
ReplyDeleteWhen we bought our house here in DFW, the master bath shower was not being used because there was a crack in the tile of the shower floor where water had been draining. It sits at one corner of the house, so two outside walls. Rot, termites, who knows? We got money off the sale price for potential repairs. When we re-modeled, we stripped that shower down to the studs. I am happy to report that the shower pan was intact, and everything was perfect.
Our oldest son sent us some video yesterday. He was up in the attic over his garage in his new (to him) house. He was busy installing some 3/4 inch plywood flooring for a storage area. His voice over was his impression of Karl in "Sling Blade". Unh-huh. He has a pull down stair, and the ceiling joists are 2 X 6. Only bad thing about attic storage is it gets flippin' hot up there in the summer.
Tis the curse of living in God's backyard, ie: The South. Scorching hot attics. As long as you're not storing melty things like, oh, 150 year old wax Baby Jesuses, you'll be okay (yes, actual story, 150 year old wax Baby Jesus from Germany got the "Raiders of the Lost Arc" treatment.
DeleteBut since he's only accessing it in the November and January, when it's only 'Hot' versus 'Testicle cooking Hot,' our noble host should be A-Otay.
RHT447
DeleteSounds like you were prepared and got lucky.
Haven't been up there in the "Summer" yet, but early October it wasn't too bad up there. I'm hoping the spray foam insulation up there will do its job. We'll see.
Beans,
DeleteYes...But...At least compared to you, it's a DRY heat.
RRRRIIIIIIGHHHHHHHTTTTT!
Excellent airport codes there.
ReplyDeleteHome repair and renovation is such a constant source of joy and a reduced bank account balance.
Glad it looks like you've got the black hole handled.
Aaron,
DeleteThanks,
One certainly hopes it's handled.
A sharpened pickaxe to the forehead to all the manufactured home manufacturers who complain about people's image of manufactured homes. Because of this. No regular home would be allowed to have particle board for flooring or anything structural. Not even chip or OSB, crappy particle board like is found in cheap furniture from Big Lots or Wally World.
ReplyDeleteAt least you lucked out in not having all the particle board removed. Seen that when rodents or such break the moisture barrier that's under said manufactured housing and the whole floor, which looks okay from the top, is rotted out from below. Usually found by someone walking and falling through, or partially through.
Bastiges, bastiges all. Want a good reputation? Use good materials. Bastiges. And pressure treated plywood under waterable areas like bathrooms or kitchens.
And...
Now that you have an easily accessible hole, again, I highly recommend looking at putting some lifting system, even if it's manual block and tackle, into use. Yes, a ladder is nice for you to get up there, but sling-loading and hoisting via mechanical advantage is the way to go. And Horrible Fright has some good useable winches, as long as you're not trying to lift an ATV or engine block into the attic space... Though I am sure Mrs. Juvat's Christmas Collection will eventually match the weight of a full 454cuinch V8, it will be in parts, not in whole.
Can't wait, but will, to find out what happens in the next exciting segment of "Well, I didn't expect THAT to happen..."
Beans,
DeleteYou're absolutely right about that. Our intent was not to live in it that long, But life intervenes.
The floor installers arrived right on time this morning. First thing they asked was "Where are the Nails?" Lowes didn't include them in the delivery. I sent them down to pick them up. I didn't want to spend another hour arguing about who was going to pay for them.
As we wpeak, they're putting in the subflooring.
So...whatever can go wrong, will go wrong and at the worst possible time and the most expensive phase of the project. Juvat's inexorable law of renovation.
Smart to fix all the issues at once, and yes, the costs went up, but by the same token, it’s not going to come back and bite you later.
ReplyDeleteAh, one of those black holes that suck in only money.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see major progress, juvat! I always cringe when I see the MDF stuff used for flooring. I think even OSB might be better, but nothin' beats good, old 3/4" plywood.
ReplyDeleteUnless it's 1" thick.
Marine Grade, of course.
Planting grass? In January? Geez, we got 2" of snow of snow last night and today. No planting here until after Mother's Day!