Trying to level my house and the wall is pulling away from the floor. Yikes!

[nealtw]

I've heard about "strapping" the house. Anybody want to explain a little about that?

Earthquake zone, stress wall that are blocked across the 4 ft mark with staps coming out of fondation that nail to the walls, like 20 nails each. Straps that go from lower walls to higher walls. All just to keep the house together for a minute or two of shaking so people can get out.

 

[Donny]

Wait a minute: We understand the front wall is holding all the weight of the roof, that is the design of that house. They have to address why the wall pulled away from the floor, if theyt do not see that as a special problem, keep shopping.

My guess is that by picking up the wall behind the front wall that the rafters will lift on the wall and allow it to be pushed in?

I did google stalk the contractors,as in BBB,angies list and look at their business location. Almost all are homes,or manufactured homes and pretty modest...
Only one had a real business location,he was the most vague. He offered to do a patch job at $3400. Half upfront,half on completion. Did have good reviews.
The one that is licensed and bonded sounded as if he was going to destroy the place but it would be level at $3900. Paid after job is done. Did have good reviews.
The highest bidder at $4,650 and doing less work the the above bidder. Half upfront,half on completion. Also on their finished job pics,had a crooked block and no termite shields
One fellow I told I would not be willing to pay half upfront but would pay cash daily. Didn't even entertain the thought nor give me a bid.
The contractor I chose but have not seen contract yet. Did tell me what walls to expect damage,told me to remove some trim and 2 pieces of paneling to keep them from bowing or breaking. Gave me the most info. Split up the normal half and half to paid 3 times for the expected 3 days. Total price of $1600 and I buy the wood for the joist that need replacing. But he is nearly off the grid. Only having a simple web site and his number in the local phone book. No bbb. I take back the no bbb, He got an A+ I just had a hard time finding his bbb.

 

[nealtw]

Picking the right guy is treaky. What bothers me is that everyone here that is interested in your problem would love to crawl around your house and see just why the from wall moved because that just dosn't happen with a platform house. If they don't treat it like the big deal that it is they could do a lot of dammage in short order. Maybe they have seen it before and know how to fix it but I would think by now you would be able to tell us what they think and how they are going to fix it. Keep in mind that your wall has no sheeting behind the siding, so there is no strength what so ever except for what it was built for. I will say it again, keep shopping or at least make sure there is good remarks about that and other sections of wall are in the contract. So when everything goes south they can't say that it is outside the contract.
Don't be afraid to ask about that and when they give you the verble, make nots on the back of the contract, just what ever they say and have them sign the notes.

 

[slownsteady]

Earthquake zone, stress wall that are blocked across the 4 ft mark with staps coming out of fondation that nail to the walls, like 20 nails each. Straps that go from lower walls to higher walls. All just to keep the house together for a minute or two of shaking so people can get out.

I guess that's another definition. I had heard it in the context of jacking the house up. Bracing across the walls.

 

[nealtw]

I guess that's another definition. I had heard it in the context of jacking the house up. Bracing across the walls.

House movers set the house on steel beams that don't allway line up with bearing points so the screw 2x12 across the walls as and extra beam to carry the load. You always see it when the garage is attached to the house but has no floor to hold it together.

 

[Chris]

I personally don't hire any contractors that want money up front. To me that means that they are in it to do a good job and know that they have to in order to get paid.

 

[Donny]

Picking the right guy is treaky. What bothers me is that everyone here that is interested in your problem would love to crawl around your house and see just why the from wall moved because that just dosn't happen with a platform house. If they don't treat it like the big deal that it is they could do a lot of dammage in short order. Maybe they have seen it before and know how to fix it but I would think by now you would be able to tell us what they think and how they are going to fix it. Keep in mind that your wall has no sheeting behind the siding, so there is no strength what so ever except for what it was built for. I will say it again, keep shopping or at least make sure there is good remarks about that and other sections of wall are in the contract. So when everything goes south they can't say that it is outside the contract.
Don't be afraid to ask about that and when they give you the verble, make nots on the back of the contract, just what ever they say and have them sign the notes.

This crudely drawn pic is as close as I can get you to getting to crawl under my house. Not that you are not invited lol.

I hate hiring contractors. My first exp was a bad one and left me with a new roof that leaked. After that I did everything myself except for some plumbing. My plumbers were great! However when I had a busted pipe and needed them they were not available! I ended up having to fix it myself.

 

[Donny]

Not to scale and does not have correct amount of joists.

 

[nealtw]

Your drawing is fine, But what happened to the plywood that should be between the wall and the joist that should not have allowed the bowing.

 

[Donny]

Your drawing is fine, But what happened to the plywood that should be between the wall and the joist that should not have allowed the bowing.

It has been cut out and replaced. No longer under the wall.

 

[inspectorD]

It has been cut out and replaced. No longer under the wall.

And there is your answer. The plywood is the diaphragm which holds it together. Have your professionals look into the issue because you absolutely have to have those connections to raise, or fix the home.
Good luck

 

[nealtw]

It has been cut out and replaced. No longer under the wall.

I am not worried about you or anyone else just raising the house but if that connection is cut all around the house I can see it where all at once front and back wall kicking out with a bang, and no house.

 

[Donny]

Well guys he starts tomarrow. I took the day off work as to be where the action is. I will be ready to say OMG STOP!!! I hope it does not come to that.

As to the sub floor maybe I can add a joist to tie the wall to the sub floor. Toe nailing from the bottom of the house. After the wall is back in place of course.

 

[oldognewtrick]

Don't forget to take lots of pics and be careful.

 

[slownsteady]

Good luck.

 

[nealtw]

Toe nailing from the bottom of the house. After the wall is back in place of course.

Not good enough.
Get wall lined up with the floor where it should be. Cut 3/4 plywood that will fit between the rim joist and the next joist. Glue and screw one side of the plywood to a 2x4 on edge like it was a joist. Apply glue to top of plywood and outside of the 2x4 and then install it between the rim and first joist. Screw thru to the wall above and screw the 2x4 to the joist.
This needs to be done at any place front or back where the floor has been seperated from the wall.
Then cut lumber to back up the rim joist everwhere so that you have full bearing when jacking the beam, the pressure will not be off balance.

If your guy did not have a plan like this or something close to it, he dosn't understand how dangerous this situation is.

 

[slownsteady]

I'm having a hard time visualizing this. Is it like a large L-bracket?

 

[nealtw]

I'm having a hard time visualizing this. Is it like a large L-bracket?

Yes that is it exactly and it should have been done when the subfloor was removed, I left out the short screws to screw to the floor, carefull not the damage finished floor above and the first screws should be 3"

 

[Donny]

Well today was the first day. Only one guy working on it but he used some railroad jacks on the side of the house and on the front. Removed the beam and rim joist. Replaced the beam with a treated 4x6. The rim joist was replaced with 2x6 with some shorter 2x6's as spacers and another 2x6(all treated). He removed a small piece of old rotten sub floor with treated 1x. To push in the wall,he angled some railroad jacks and just pushed it in.
The gap is gone and everything looks pretty good as far as the wall goes. I am honestly impressed. No new damage in the sheetrock so far. Nothing real loud or scary lol.

 

[slownsteady]

Great news so far. How's he going to secure that wall into place?