:(snip) :>
:> Yes, when I said the house would be jacked up, I really didn't mean that :> they would elevate it, just that it would be supported by jacks until :> support beams (2 parallel, possibly 3, I'm not sure) could be placed and :> the house _lowered_ down from the jacks onto the beams. It would rest :> there until the foundation was poured and ready for attachment, :> presumably to be lowered a tad in the process. Thanks, Wayne. :>
:You almost never want a house sitting lower on the lot. For a foundation :replacement, they usually do lift, but only a tiny bit, an inch or so. But :that is so they utilities don't break. Since you are changing all those :anyway, it sounds like, that isn't a worry. Once the jacks are there, an :extra six inches only means one more layer of cribbing under the needle :beams, and that extra six inches makes it a lot easier on the mason. : :Your place is on a crawl, right? Replacing the foundation is a convenient :time to gain a little extra clearance to make working down there easier. If :you had a basement, it is a good chance to change a head-banger cellar into :a usable basement. : :aem sends...
The crawl space isn't the tightest, but it is a definite crawl. I don't believe you could do more that sit on your ass in there with your head up, and maybe not even that in a lot of places. In truth, it isn't entirely level under there. The worst part is that it's all dirt. The book I'm reading ("Renovating Old Houses" by George Nash, 2003 edition) suggests that this is a problem because moisture inevitably enters the house due to evaporation of moisture from the soil coming up from the ground table water. I've had problems over the years during rainy season with excess humidity in the house. Now, there's no central heating, so that's certainly a factor. But the condensation I typically get in the winter months is certainly a problem and there's a certain amount of fungus activity evidenced by the odors in certain rooms, especially at certain times. I don't see it on the walls, but I can smell it. I do all I can in practical terms to reduce the humidity. I've given up cooking soupy concoctions for long period on the stove, for the most part, and I try to get things as dry as I can in practical terms in my bathroom after taking a shower.
Maybe something can be done to reduce moisture in the house when the new foundation is placed. Of course, a drainage system can be installed, but in addition to that, perhaps something can be done to prevent evaporation from the ground water from entering the house. Obviously, it's not impossible to excavate and create a true basement. At the very least, a layer of polyethelene could be put down and covered with gravel or some other substance.
One foundation contractor said he could make additional space under the house to accommodate a central heating system. Someone else said there is already plenty of space for that. I don't know who's view was the wiser. Truthfully, I've had a few experts take a good look but I'm not confident in the information I've gotten. Everyone has had a different take on things. I wish I could get George Nash under the house. He said he was formerly a "foundation doctor."
As you say, there's a real advantage in lifting the house when replacing the foundation so that it isn't so hard on the workers. I presume that would render my plumbing inoperative for a while. The electricity comes in at the roof level, so I assume it wouldn't be affected.
Dan