nealtw
Contractor retired
So do you think the rotted floor boards is what allowed the wall to seperate? Are confedent that the two are attached now?
Sounds like progress.
Sounds like progress.
Trying to level my house and the wall is pulling away from the floor. Yikes!
- Thread starter Donny
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Help Support House Repair Talk:
Not much happened today. The helper aka the one that does all the work was alone today. Only worked 4-5 hours. He removed some more rim joist and the beam under that. He left that section of the house held up by some 20ton bottle jacks. I am not real happy about the bottle jacks. I put down a few concrete blocks just in case.
nealtw
Contractor retired
Ya, I never trust jacks, always place blocks and shims to make sure you don't lose anything after lifting it.
zannej
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Sounds like progress. I'm really hoping that it all works out with no damage. No wonder the price was so inexpensive if it seems there is only one worker. I hope he really knows what he is doing.
I know Chris said something about never paying up front, but I've heard that 10% up front is the maximum that should be paid before a job is started (and that the final payment should not be made until after the job is satisfactorily completed). A lot of contractors expect at least some down payment. I forget where I read about the 10% though.
I'm curious about one thing: What sort of permits did you have to pull for this job? Or did you actually pull any? I would think this is something that requires permits...
I know Chris said something about never paying up front, but I've heard that 10% up front is the maximum that should be paid before a job is started (and that the final payment should not be made until after the job is satisfactorily completed). A lot of contractors expect at least some down payment. I forget where I read about the 10% though.
I'm curious about one thing: What sort of permits did you have to pull for this job? Or did you actually pull any? I would think this is something that requires permits...
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On the down payment thing I get where the contractors are coming from. You want to know you are getting paid. You have money out and time. A lien on a house in texas doesn't do you much good if the home owner doesn't want to pay. On the home owners side,there are just to many thieves. I figure what I did was a decent compromise. I did 3 payments.
No permits got pulled. Most of the guys that bid the house are on the barely legal to not legal side. I don't know if it is true but I have heard in my area it is legal to do your own repairs without permits.
They finished yesterday. I still have some high and low spots. Some of those are due to me shimming to make things look straighter (years ago). One room is still pretty bad. What he said about it is. The wood has bowed and twisted from being so far down on one side for so long. Lifting on bowed wood just raises it. I will have to cut it out and replace: sub floor,floor and joists to get it straight...
He ended up doing some extra work on the front. A fair amount. But he did not replace the joists that was in the agreement. I told him at the beginning of the job "what the house needs you get and I will pay you for it". I didn't tell him but I knew he under bid the job.
Overall I am happy with it. He left the bathroom alone as I had asked. Stuck to his price and put fourth solid effort on the bad spots. Got the front wall in. Did damage some sheetrock but not horrorble and everyone said I would get damage.
He ended up doing some extra work on the front. A fair amount. But he did not replace the joists that was in the agreement. I told him at the beginning of the job "what the house needs you get and I will pay you for it". I didn't tell him but I knew he under bid the job.
Overall I am happy with it. He left the bathroom alone as I had asked. Stuck to his price and put fourth solid effort on the bad spots. Got the front wall in. Did damage some sheetrock but not horrorble and everyone said I would get damage.
nealtw
Contractor retired
Leave it for some time and see if things straight out a bit, if not you can always cut a joist and sister a new on the side of it to straighten them out. The sister would want to be close to full length.
