pier and beam repair

[kirk]

I have a 1920s house that developed a water leak that destroyed a beam, a joist, and subflooring that is used to support a 2" thick concrete slab that is the original tiled bathroom floor. I contracted out for about $1000 to have this repaired, but foundation companies in Texas seem to be generally crooked and the check was cashed but no work has or will be done. I went through over 20 businesses to find a small handful that would even show up at all, and of those most didn't think the job would make them enough money to even tackle.

Regardless, I can't easily get my money back nor have the repairs made so I am forced to attempt it myself before the toilet falls through the floor.

The subfloor consists of 1x6s between the joists and they are rotted and the concrete cracked and coming down an inch, the supporting joist is rotted, and the beam as well. How do I safely replace the beam, sister the joist (it also has numerous cutouts for the plumbing) since the wood floor is nailed to the original, and fill in and fix the subfloor to support the cracked concrete?

Step by step, if you please, and I am on an extreme budget, especially after being ripped off. No, I can't find an honest nor competent contractor (have tried for over a month), and collecting damages in Texas requires an act of God to succeed because of debtor law.

I have two jacks of unknown tonnage, and can buy wood as needed if I know how to do this job. I am hoping to have one helper. I have never done foundation work. I studied engineering in college. The crawl space is about 18" at best.

Thanks,

-Kirk

[ameijers]

18" crawl? No wonder that the honest companies didn't wanna touch it. To do it right, you are looking at gutting the bathroom, and working mainly from above. The mudbed (not a real slab) the tile is setting in is already cracked, and there is no way to replace the subfloor without it cracking further. It isn't really concrete, in all odds, with aggragate and reinforcing. It is chicken wire tacked to subfloor, and a thick layer of mortar smeared over that. That was the traditional base for tile floors for many years.

There are no good cheap answers to your problem. How much is the house worth? What is your equity? If you don't have the several thousand, probably over 10, for a gut job, you are looking at having to get a loan. I'd go talk to your bank and explain the situation- without the repair, their security on the original mortgage is in danger of becoming worthless, since a collapsed bathroom means the place is uninhabitable. With the repair, the value of the security is preserved, and maybe even slightly increased.

aem sends...

[Pete C.]

If he has a mortgage he in all probability has insurance as it tends to be a mortgage requirement. This seems like a good candidate for a claim and the insurance company should have a list of contractors who if not reputable at least get the job done.

Pete C.

[kirk]

without getting sidetracked, our insurance has $4000 deductible, so that is not an option; and the real problem is getting someone to fix it; there seems to be too few repair companies for too much repair and few will do what they consider a small unless you pay them a fortune for a relatively moderate repair

and paying someone up front to get them to do it has cost me $800 so that is out...

we want to preserve the bathroom or we would live in the suburbs; the house is historical and has original tile, though now cracked (that's ok it is the fact that it is no longer sound is the problem)

so, do I try to shore up the subfloor with small pieces of plywood to fill the gaps of the rotten stuff after custom cutting and maneuvering a 2x8 sister joist or two in pieces then try to jack up to replace a cutout piece of beam, or try to get the beam in first then the sister joist and then the scab boards to hold the plywood that holds up the subfloor that holds up the "concrete"? solutions, please, in a can do attitude since assume no money left or company to even do this "small" job...

thanks,

-Kirk ameijers wrote:

[Goedjn]

. . . .[irrelevencies deleted] . . .

If that isn't the only available bathroom, then the simplest solution would be to take out all the fixtures, prop a box of beams on four posts under the thing, and cut that entire section of floor out, although without seeing the existing beam it's hard to say what to do about that,

If it is the only bathroom, and you can't afford to do it right, then paint the entire understructure with boracare, and then prop support planks up all over creation, using blackpipe supports plugged and painted with something toxic/sticky to discourage termites., and start saving money to fix it next year.

With any luck, something will happen in the meantime that will render the question moot.