To date all of the work has been done by Phillips Renovation and its crew. This has been great as the work has been quality and timely, and we have had only one group to work with. From here on we start juggling different contractors for the remaining trades. Right now we have an HVAC crew on site and plumbers as well. Next week the electrician should start. Assuming that the framing, plumbing, HVAC and electrical work is inspected and passes, this will be followed by the insulation contractor and the gutter contractor. We also have a masonry contractor scheduled to begin on Tuesday and our windows contractor is scheduled to begin installation of all the windows in about 3 weeks. That leaves drywall, finish carpentry, flooring, framing/finishing of the porches, final installation of all fixtures and cabinet/appliance installation. So, as you can see, we're almost done.
In the DIY category, we began reinforceing the floor joists under the kitchen floor. The original 2x8 joists had been all cut up over the years to accomodate different plumbing schemes, leaving maybe 2'' of the original 8'' on 4 of the joists. To prevent these twigs from snapping, POs had placed steel posts in 3 places in the basement under the kitchen. To ensure a solid floor for our future tile floor and to get rid of the steel columns so the basement room is more functional, we began "sistering" new 2x8s to the existing joists. This posed a challenge from the outset, in that the stairway to the basement turns sharply at the end and a 12' long joist cannot be brought in down the stairs. So, I cut a whole in the plywood board which covered an old basement window and lowered the joists in through there. Next, we had to cut or remove any nails that would prevent the new joist from laying flush with the old joist. Finally, we had to cut the 12' joist down a bit, apply glue, set up a brace to support it, pound it into position (think sledge-hammer) and nail the new joist to the old joist. And since these joists and the subfloor above it are nearly 100 years old, pounding on them kicks up a century's worth of grit, grime and dust. Ahhh, reminds me of the demo stages.
On a similar subject, our plumber drilled a 4'' whole through the 8'' joists over the guest bedroom to accomodate the 2nd floor toilette drain. Now, this is a problem, as the building code only allows 1/3rd of a joists depth to be drilled. When called to the plumber's attention, the plumber told our framers to sister plywood to each side of the joist, which they did. But our architects and engineer could not sign off on that so the framers will have to sister those joists with full sized 2x8s as well. So while the first "solution" offered by the plumbers was a waste of time and money (I do have to pay my framers), better to catch the problem and resolve it before the pipes are in and the cost of correction is much higher.
In the DIY category, we began reinforceing the floor joists under the kitchen floor. The original 2x8 joists had been all cut up over the years to accomodate different plumbing schemes, leaving maybe 2'' of the original 8'' on 4 of the joists. To prevent these twigs from snapping, POs had placed steel posts in 3 places in the basement under the kitchen. To ensure a solid floor for our future tile floor and to get rid of the steel columns so the basement room is more functional, we began "sistering" new 2x8s to the existing joists. This posed a challenge from the outset, in that the stairway to the basement turns sharply at the end and a 12' long joist cannot be brought in down the stairs. So, I cut a whole in the plywood board which covered an old basement window and lowered the joists in through there. Next, we had to cut or remove any nails that would prevent the new joist from laying flush with the old joist. Finally, we had to cut the 12' joist down a bit, apply glue, set up a brace to support it, pound it into position (think sledge-hammer) and nail the new joist to the old joist. And since these joists and the subfloor above it are nearly 100 years old, pounding on them kicks up a century's worth of grit, grime and dust. Ahhh, reminds me of the demo stages.
On a similar subject, our plumber drilled a 4'' whole through the 8'' joists over the guest bedroom to accomodate the 2nd floor toilette drain. Now, this is a problem, as the building code only allows 1/3rd of a joists depth to be drilled. When called to the plumber's attention, the plumber told our framers to sister plywood to each side of the joist, which they did. But our architects and engineer could not sign off on that so the framers will have to sister those joists with full sized 2x8s as well. So while the first "solution" offered by the plumbers was a waste of time and money (I do have to pay my framers), better to catch the problem and resolve it before the pipes are in and the cost of correction is much higher.
Below: 4 inch holes in 2x8 joists.
Below: Ducts to the master bedroom hidden behind the back door.
Below: Where the HVAC guy wanted to put a supply, but that's where the plumber HAS to put the bathtub supply lines.
1 comment:
You should use 2x10's and drill and bolt them together not glue and nail. Rent a right-angle drill, or borrow your plumber's. Also, you can buy straps that are big enough to accommodate the old and new wood and you can bolt them to the foundation as well. You don't want that floor flexing after you tile it.
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