In our previous blog post, we revealed what we found under the floor at 122 Main Road Fitties and also how bad the structure of the walls were. In todays blog, we reveal how we went about fixing these issues with new timber, footings and one other unusual piece of equipment.
Starting The Renovation
As previously seen, the timber flooring in the chalet was rotten, to say the least. This meant we had to rip it out. Not only was the floor rotten, but the moisture had also reached halfway up all the walls. This meant that the timbers were rotten, which then meant the bottoms had deteriorated so much that it was contributing to the whole building sloping to one end of the chalet.
Now that we had a good understanding of the issues, we created a plan and got to work. The first stage was to rip out all the rotten wood in the walls and floor. This would stop the rot from spreading any further and would give us a good understanding of what needed repairing.
6 Ton Out ... 6 Ton In
The second stage was to prepare the floor so we could install new concrete footings. To do this, we had to dig holes that were spaced out every 6 feet by hand and then manually transfer the sand to the skip. It’s safe to say this was hard work as it worked out to be 6 ton of sand. Next, we had to fill the holes with concrete, which was a mixture of ballast and cement powder. This also was 6 ton of materials moved by hand.
Once the new footings were dry, we laid 7.3N concrete blocks on top. These had to be perfectly level as we would use them to rest the new floor joists on. To ensure that moisture wouldn't travel up the new footings, we put DPC sheeting and slate between the joists and blocks.
Once the footings were finished and the floor joists were started, we then had to devise a plan on how to position the walls onto the new floor. The plan we came up with was rather unorthodox.
How To Lift A Wall Up
As previously mentioned, the timber walls at 122 Main Road Fitties were rotten and needed fixing. To do this, we cut out the rotten parts of the wooden frame and replaced them with new timber. To ensure they didn't rot anytime soon, we placed sheets of DPC between the old timbers and new. This would ensure that if there was moisture in the old timber, it wouldn't bleed through to the new timber.
Once the walls were repaired, we then had to run new floor timbers under them. However, as the walls had sagged due to the original flooring rotting away, they needed lifting up for us to slide the new timber under. To do this, we used something every car owner should have...car jacks.
Slowly But Surely Lifts The House
It's safe to say that lifting a wall with car jacks is a delicate process, so we had to be patient and careful. To ensure that the roof was safe and to also had to add more support to the building therefore, we installed extra support timbers to the walls and also put up acrows to support the roof.
To get started, we ensured that each car jack was positioned under the wall we were working on in the most efficient position. This was usually at either end of the wall and one in the middle, as this would give the best support. In addition, due to the floor being made out of sand, we had to ensure that the jacks were on a stable surface so we could get enough force to push the wall up. To do this, we used leftover concrete slabs or bricks from the new footings.
Once everything was in position, we set up a laser level and started cranking up each jack to the desired position. Once each one was set, we placed blocks and cemented them onto the new footings positioned under the wall. Once these were set, we ran the new floor timbers under the wall and slowly lowered the wall back down.
As each wall needed doing, the whole process took over a week to complete. However, once it was finished, the whole house had new wall timbers that were set on a stronger, level floor that would then allow us to start laying the floor boards.
After a week of meticulous and labor-intensive work, the chalet was significantly more stable. The new wall timbers, resting on solid and level footings, provided a strong foundation for the next phase of renovation. With the structural integrity restored, we could confidently proceed with laying the flooring boards and continue transforming the chalet into a safe and comfortable space. This project not only improved the physical condition of the building but also demonstrated the importance of thorough planning and perseverance in tackling renovation challenges.
Be sure to check out our next blog post as we'll be talking about what we found in the ceiling and if you need any work doing, just email us at jay@jmajoinery.com, message us on our Whatsapp bot or visit our Facebook page
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