Structural home repair screw jack build.

[fyidiy]

Getting ready to attack water damaged and rotted second floor structural joists and need to build temporary support prior to the removal of the load bearing exterior wall. The fabrication effort was to create 20 screw jacks using 1.25" threaded rod.

[fyidiy]

Welded the top nuts to the threaded rod today. Also, added a wider base plate to the first few under-engineered examples. Nice to have this, "job to do the job" effort completed.

[fyidiy]

Here's the reason for the screw jacks. This is the second floor above a great room. The chimney has been removed. Once the temporary support is put into place the exterior wall can be breached for the repair effort.

The scaffolding had two levels for the chimney removal. Now, it's just one level for the rim joist replacement. The original cause of the issue was stucco applied to both the house and the chimney together with no expansion joint. The house and chimney move/expand at different rates causing small cracks. The previous owners let the gutters overflow for years and the water entered the interior walls to cause this mess. Stucco is a fantastic finish when done right. It's rarely done right, however.

[fyidiy]

Gettin' closer to putting the screw jacks into service. The platform on top of the scaffolding will be fabricated out of salvaged decking joists.

The ceiling surface is at 11 feet. The second floor joists are at 12.5 feet above the great room floor.

[fyidiy]

Platform and screw jacks placed into service with the necessary support cribbing.

Bad news is the platform and platform-to-second-floor joist support isn't working out as hoped. Will be taking the platform out of the picture and going with straight up 12' posts. The platform will still be utilized for gaining easy access to the ceiling, however.

[fyidiy]

Platform removed and single 4"x6"x12' cut down to 10'6". The re-engineering is far more stable. Tomorrow the screw jacks get employed upstairs to support the roof truss system from the currently-supported second floor.

First photo is the cribbing tower (screw jack inside) and the single post setup.

Second photo is just the cribbing tower.

Third photo is showing the use of electrical box covers as shim stock and the extended screw jack performing its intended function.

[fyidiy]

Today I received the final structural repair building inspection. I still have an electrical permit open due to modifications and additions since I already had things "opened up".

Nice to have this *huge* milestone crossed.

[fyidiy]

This goal of the project has been completed...

Window installed and tar paper put up just like roofing shingles to keep the weather off the OSB. Eventually, I'll get around to removing all the stucco and replacing with concrete fiber clapboards. So, for all intents and purposes, the structural work is complete.

The white squares are sections of Vinyl flashing used with stapes like button nails.

The edge seams of the stucco/tar paper are covered with concrete fiber board sections. Concrete fiber board is also used near the ground to keep mud and silt from splashing up on the tar paper preventing premature wear.

Now, to move inside and reconstitute the impacted interior...

[fyidiy]

Mini screw jacks of the same design. However, rather than utilizing 3" schedule 40 steel pipe and 1-1/4" threaded rod, the dimensions are 3/4" threaded rod and 3/4" black iron pipe.

I have a wall section which has been settling and in need of motivating back into place.

The jacks will be utilized in an exterior location so painting was necessary.

[fyidiy]

Mini screw jacks deployed.

Indications of interior settling/sagging have already improved.