Recent comments in /f/DIY

led76 t1_jacb6bv wrote

Reply to comment by RL203 in Digging out basement? by MRMAGOOONTHE5

How expensive per square foot was it to underpin and dig out if you don’t mind saying? Or maybe just how expensive was the initial structural engineer consultation?

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RL203 t1_jac9o27 wrote

My house was built in 1922. I could not walk in the basement without constantly ducking my head (I'm 6'-3" tall). I was always hitting beams or HVAC ducts or bare light bulbs (always fun when you are bent over for some reason, stand up and take out a light bulb with your head).

I underpinned my entire house coming away with a basement that now has 8'-6" of headroom.

It's a long story and if you are interested, I can tell you how I did it later as I have to get my ass out of bed and head out just now.

But I will tell you this, the pay off is worth it but it is dangerous if you do it wrong. Think stages. Lots of stages.

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GoAwayMe t1_jac6jha wrote

Can't comment on a sale but the View Plus is a pretty incredible little air quality tester. I move it around periodically when I'm concerned about certain spots and it almost immediately updates with different data. I haven't authenticated the data but the thing has earned my trust. Great for Radon, CO2, VOCs and Particulate Matter readings.

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justcallmetarzan t1_jac4164 wrote

I second /u/Spinaccio's approach for putting a post in. Or posts - I'm having some trouble envisioning how exactly the fireplace is supported by that (where is the ash pit?)

Another option to explore with an engineer... In our house (1931), I've got full access to the exterior basement wall "top plate" (concrete) and the interior wall top plate. If I had this problem under my fireplace, I would just raise the floor a bit temporarily with a jack and slide in at least two brand new joists. I don't know that you would want to sister these to the old joists, though.

But as for your dip... really depends. I've noticed a lot of uneven spots in my floors, but no damage to the joists underneath. What I suspect is happening is 100 years of uneven wear and settling and compression in the softer wood subfloor. If it moves, you could also have the classic subfloor board that ends just shy of a joist.

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YJMark t1_jac3q8z wrote

What I’ve seen done is that you don’t need to frame the walls. You use foam board insulation glued to the concrete walls. Then you can actually glue the sheetrock directly to the foam board. All your electrical would then be inside your exterior framed wall.

Of course, it is too late now since you already put in the interior framing. At this point, the only potential risk is a fire path behind your wall. Not sure about codes in your area. You might want to just double check that.

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carlbernsen t1_jac3hbe wrote

Reply to comment by Isobelcate in Pls help, bed raiser by Isobelcate

If you can make a central cut out or have one made, that would be secure, but you’ll also lose a bit of height that way so you’ll need taller blocks. The width of the blocks is important for stability.

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