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The basement, winter 2006-07
Basement posts
One of the beams that runs most of the length of the house
was resting on one wood post sitting on the dirt floor.
It obviously settled some. I replaced the wood post
with 4 steel jackposts spread out over the whole distance.
Every post needs a 24 x 24 inch footing.
This one went on the old cracked concrete by the water heater.
Hammered out the old concrete, put down a little gravel for drainage,
and my pyramid form I had my dad make. Used a plumb bob too.
Below is a scematic of the pyramid form.
About 3 bags of 5,000 psi cement and 10 ft of rebar.
Some old oil on the form helps it slip off.
Jackpost sits on plastic to slow any rust from moisture leaching up.
I'll have 12 of these when I'm all done.
The City Building Department told me to pour a 24 x 24 x 12 cube, I decided to pour a pyramid that would still have a 24 x 24 base, but used less concrete.
Covering dirt crawl space
Most of the north portion of the basement
is a 4-foot-high dirt crawl space.
You could smell the dirt and moisture.
Dug out a shallow trench near the wall.
Put down some thick mil plastic.
Use a 5 gal bucket for a sumppump pit and lay down 3 inch pipe.
Cover it all with gravel. Hopefully I can shoot some concrete
in a basement window someday soon.
Concrete in the dirt crawl space
Where the crawl space meets the furnace area.
Rotted boards sitting on dirt.
Covered it with plastic, gravel, and wire.
Then framed it up.
One and half yards of cement now entomb the crappy bricks and dirt.
Southern basement floor
The south basement has 6-feet of headroom
but had a cracked, crappy concrete floor.
Moisture seeps in where the floor meet the wall.
I broke it up, and hauled it out in a 5-gallon bucket.
It was less than 1 inch thick in some places.
3-inch pipe and a bucket for a sump pit.
Down goes 2-3 inches of gravel.
Poured new cement in through a basement window.
I built this gang-plank contraption suspended from chains
to get out over it to float the new cement.
I had half the floor done by April 1.
Jacking up the dining room floor
Standing in the dining room, a marble on the floor
would roll quickly all the way across the room.
Below, a wood beam that runs the length of the house
rested on a limestone foundation that also held up the chimmney.
Obviously, it settled 2-3 inches in the 100 years.
So I rented some 20-ton jacks to jack the beam/floor up.
One of the jack-and-post contraptions gave way
and a steel plate smacked me in the head.
Only a few stiches at the Mercy ER.
Now, a marble slowly rolls just a few feet.
Good enough for me.
Altho some of the plaster in the dining room kinda buckled.
Washer and Dryer- Summer 2007
Cal has to run water, sewer, and electricity
over to where the washer and dryer will be.
Don't get shocked, old boy.
Had to run new copper and pex piping.
Connections ready.
Now off to the Maytag store.
Placed the washer and dryer.
Hmm, should I move the dryer or remove the jackpost?
Post 2008 Flood
Got a new high-efficiency furnace
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