Home Repair Forum

KSever · #1 (**permalink**) 10-19-2005, 10:26 PM

Been starting the winter project for about 1 week now. We've been in this 5000 sq ft. 1885 Victorian now for 2 months and I've already got the projects started. When we moved in this house the previous owners had a business downstairs and lived upstairs. Now I have to move the kitchen downstairs to it's new location. Found two second floor joist cut by the past owners so they could install a toilet, two drain pipes in the walls that were not being used anymore but were not capped off, and one cold water pipe leaking inside the wall. Got most of the plaster tore off the walls and ceiling yesterday and today, floor tile taken up last weekend to the wood floor and so far no more surprises.

mrcaptainbob · #2 (**permalink**) 10-19-2005, 10:55 PM

Hi, KSever. Welcome to the forum. I can sure identify with the 'issues' you're running into. Our house is 1860's vintage and, although the floor plan is terrific, some of the 'guts' leave a bit to be desired. We too, are doing the indoor plimbing stuff on a winter-by-winter basis. There was much carpenter ant and water damage that wasn't apparent when we first took the project on. I see you have the radiatos, while ours was updated to the baseboard hotwater heat. Sure hurts to have to tear down that nice rock lath to just have to repair past idiocy! Good luck on the projects and keep those pics coming!

KSever · #3 (**permalink**) 10-23-2005, 11:50 PM

Thanks for the pep talk Bob,
I keep finding little things as I go here. Not only were those two floor joist cut but they were being held up by the drop ceiling below which is also attached to a non-load bearing wall. And that floor right below that wall has a sag of about 1 1/2" (which by the way has a rather large heat radiator sitting right below those joist also). I am planning on taking out that radiator and sistering the joist, but I doubt I'll jack that wall back up since it would more than likely crack the ceiling in the opposite room and it's a real nice hand done plaster design.

I did get the big sink off the wall yesterday and moved to the workshop where it's going to be reattached to a wall.

Here's what I plan on cutting out (marked out in pencil) so the wife can have a passthrough bar. Picked up the three 2x12's for the header yesterday and all the temporary braces to install it so hopefully I'll get that wall cut this week and it may look more like I've done something.

mrcaptainbob · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 09:51 PM

"It may look more like I done something"....We ALL know what it took for you to get this far! That 1 1/2" sag is familiar, too, as that was the situation at the wall between the 1st floor bath and the laundry room. After going down to the joists, sistering most of them, adding to the damaged ones, it wsa still way off. A laser level came in very handy for that rework. After locating the various sized shims, two layers of 3/4 ply, it's as solid as being on slab! Keep chippin' away at it. As much as it may hurt, this IS the time to do the "while I'm here, I might as well _ _ _ _ _ ...".

KSever · #5 (**permalink**) 11-11-2005, 12:03 AM

Well finally getting somewhere this week. Got the joist repaired so it's now sitting about a 1/2" higher than it was. In the picture above at the start of this topic the floor joist was resting on two 2X4's and supported by the ceiling below it. Now it's supporting itself and the floor above is now level.

Also got a little plumbing done and some electrical boxes installed, this weekend I doubt will get much accomplished as I'll be out of town on Saturday.

Here's a before with all the single plumbing lines running up the wall and one that was leaking inside the wall.

Progress

mrcaptainbob · #6 (**permalink**) 11-11-2005, 10:05 PM

Clean work, KSever! Looks really good. A lot of thought and hard work in that. Don't know if it makes much diff, when I sistered up the joists, I 5/16 through bolted every 18" in a W fashion. (I tend to overkill.) Thanks for the photos...

KSever · #7 (**permalink**) 11-14-2005, 12:24 AM

I understand the overkill and I'm one for that too. This beam is shot in from both sides at three different angles.

Made some good progress this Sunday and it now feels like it's going to be a kitchen after all. Had to have the wife help me lift this triple 2X12 up and I'm sure this isn't going anywhere.

mrcaptainbob · #8 (**permalink**) 11-14-2005, 09:15 PM

A lot of work, all right. Isn't it fun having to deal with the differences in thickness of 2x4's from over the years?

KSever · #9 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 11:58 PM

I'll have to take the finished pics of this projects so you can compare the before to after