Do It Yourself Help-Home Projects

[Kimbo]

Sadly my project is delayed a week. Due to the location of the pipe and the fact that we need to drain and move the water heater and the fact that she thought rehooking up this water heater would be a bad decision. I've got to get the new tank in house so we can do the whole project at once. We have some challenges, we are going to try and move part of the plumbing so it would better accomodate a stackable laundry set saving even more room in the already small room...I am hoping it gets a bit warmer throughout this week--it's pretty cold here, not good for in, out project work.

Stayed tuned--

[cara]

So...I need to hang some curtains. I remember how hard it was last time trying to screw into the wall, so I bought a small, Black & Decker, cordless drill and a small set of drill bits. (My first power tool! I'm so proud!) I've charged the drill the obligatory 17 hours per instruction. I'm scared to drill holes in my wall, though! What if they come out uneven? I know I'm gonna end up spackling the wall when I leave, but I'm still wary of this task. I have to drill 3 holes with a 3/16" bit. Then, I have to put in 3 plastic anchors (my dad called them "Molly Bolts" when I was growing up). The screws will be easy and hanging the curtains will be a breeze.

I just have one question, so far: when measuring where to place the holes, can I base it on the ceiling line, or do I go with the window frame? (And does that make any sense?)

Handily challenged and may need to resort to if I can't get the curtains to hang level,

cara

[cara]

drill & bits. check!
level? damn!

Thanks for the help, Jack. My curtains are too narrow so I have to go back and buy the wider set. No curtains for me tonight. I should probably get a level and a new tape measure while I'm at it.

~cara

[Jess]

OK.. so here's a new one...

How do you go about jacking up a house? Ours is "drooping" in the back area.. specifically the kitchen.

There is a good clearance under it to place jacks/ supports. I have been told to use "pop bottle" jacks ( sure, I know what those are) and that the process has to be very slow, so as not to upset the foundation.

Is this something I should undertake myself or hire a professional " jacker?" WTF is a house jacker upper called anyway?? LOL. Anyone ( hint Jack) know of a good website with video showing the process?

There is very mild "sloping" in other areas, but the kitchen is the most dramatic. The wife says she hadn't noticed it so much until we placed a new round table in there, which makes it glaringly obvious. So,.. yet another wee little project in the ongoing saga of Extreme Home Makeover: Butch Edition.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Jess

[weatherboi]

http://www.ellisok.com/ellisok/rescon.html

This may be a little more intrusive than you need but we have used a system similar to this to help level an old bed and breakfast here.

I have watched this process a few times and wouldn't think of doing it myself. My liable general contractor side says hire a professional!!!

Hope the links help!!


http://homerenovations.about.com/od/...a/homejack.htm

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/f...t1/raising.htm

[Jess]

Originally Posted by weatherboi

http://www.ellisok.com/ellisok/rescon.html

This may be a little more intrusive than you need but we have used a system similar to this to help level an old bed and breakfast here.

I have watched this process a few times and wouldn't think of doing it myself. My liable general contractor side says hire a professional!!!

Hope the links help!!


http://homerenovations.about.com/od/...a/homejack.htm

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/f...t1/raising.htm

Thanks a bunch! Everything I have read thus far seems to lean toward hiring the job out. They also seem to state that most contractors don't want to do it. ACK!

Will keep plugging away at as many projects I can handle and leave the intrinsic to structure work to the pro's! Thanks again!

[Bit]

Jess, look in the yellowpages under "basement repair." You should find all kinds of contractors.

We had to have two steel I-beams and four jack posts installed in the basement of That House before we were allowed to move in; it ran us $1800 last April. $1200 of that was for the I-beams (and their installation).

Hey, Cara, I'm all excited; we found LED light strings on sale after the holidays and now have four. I've already got one of those outlets that screws into your porch light fixture, so we'll even be able to plug them in next winter. I'll probably wind them around our porch railings rather than hanging them from the roofline, though.

I bought two outlets, for front and back; our back porch light doesn't work properly because the pull string won't stay in the "on" position, so I'm hoping we can "fix" it by bypassing it; the outlet has a pull chain of its own.

[wolfwalker]

Originally Posted by Jess

OK.. so here's a new one...

How do you go about jacking up a house? Ours is "drooping" in the back area.. specifically the kitchen.

There is a good clearance under it to place jacks/ supports. I have been told to use "pop bottle" jacks ( sure, I know what those are) and that the process has to be very slow, so as not to upset the foundation.

Is this something I should undertake myself or hire a professional " jacker?" WTF is a house jacker upper called anyway?? LOL. Anyone ( hint Jack) know of a good website with video showing the process?

There is very mild "sloping" in other areas, but the kitchen is the most dramatic. The wife says she hadn't noticed it so much until we placed a new round table in there, which makes it glaringly obvious. So,.. yet another wee little project in the ongoing saga of Extreme Home Makeover: Butch Edition.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Jess

Jess, you can do it yourself. I raised an old farmhouse and made all the repairs myself.

it takes time. it took time to get that way and it will take time to get it back level. if you rush it. you will be looking at your house on the ground.

I will explain this whole thing to you and show you how when i come down that way for a visit. which will be soon. but you need to also check the source of the sag. is it just old age? or is it termites?

if its termites, house needs to be treated first. if it old age, cool. As long as you have good clearance. it not a hard job. its the time it takes to right it that makes it look harder then it is. The house has to be raised slowly over the course of a week or two. a bit at a time. when i did the farm. i did it in 1/8th to 1/4th inch every 2 days. this gave everything time to slowly move back into position. it means making adjustments every 2 days to several bottle jacks and supports. not really a biggie. but time consuming. How big an area it is will guide how many jacks and supports you need.

the biggest thing is make a list of supplies, check it twice before you do anything. the last thing you need is to be missing something in the process of raising.

wolfwalker

[Jess]

Awesome... that will be yet another "one less thing".. ( Our new mantra!)

We're really looking forward to seeing you and I am always open to advice/ suggestions.. lord knows anything that helps me in knocking out the list is a godsend!

[cara]

i bought a torpedo level and tape measure this weekend.