at one point Brian's finger was holding up the house

 

 

 

or

"oh boy we are in real trouble"

 

 

 

or

 

"this weekend I used a chainsaw"

 

 

 

all good and appropriate titles for today’s blog post.  Over the course of this weekend a few other titles came to mind, but they are out of my head now, and I didn't get a chance to write them down because I was busy wielding the chain saw, or the camera - which ever one I could get my hands on.

 

This weekend we replaced the main beam in my house.  For those of you who feel like this was just another weekend reno project IT. WAS. NOT.  It’s akin to replacing your spinal cord.  You pretty much remove the largest structure in the house, the structure that is HOLDING UP your house and replace it with a new one - all the while your house is held up by "temporary walls".  Tension was running high Saturday morning and at least twice during the day I was so nervous that I thought the entire house might collapse.

 

We started off here on Saturday morning - with the temporary walls up, the old main bean still in place and my stairway still as it is (keep an eye on the stairway - that goes through some big changes)

 

 

 

As you can see we were in a bad spot with the old construction - this is what was in place for the header by the door that was holding up the old main beam.

 

 

 

The first order of business was to remove the old main beam.  Easiest way to cut down wood is with a chainsaw so that is what we did.  I took my turn and made two cuts with the chainsaw but then I had to get down and just watch.  I am not sure why but I think it had to do with the fact that 1. I was leaning on the chainsaw because I wasn't strong enough and 2. They had some plan they were working on that I didn't know.

 

 

 

 

We got the first half of it out and it was starting to look like we were in good shape for the day!  Heck at this point it was only 10AM or so.  After we had all the chainsaw cuts made we went about cutting the notches out of the existing floor joists, thereby restoring them to their original 2x6 structure and that makes them stronger!

 

We did that and then it was time to get the bean into place - again I thought we were going to be done by 2PM, I would be at Kim's in time for dinner, we were moving right along.

 

My dad had hurt his back, and the bean wasn't too heavy, so Brian and I carried it up into place.  We brought it into the house, tilted it so one side was on the new header and then we lifted it up into place.  On the end by the doorway the bean was touching the 2nd floor floorboards but on the end by the kitchen there was a 2 1/2" gap.  My dad was standing next to me and I turned to look at him while Brian was saying that and his face changed to a look of terror and then he uttered the words "We are in real trouble".  My father is in charge of these things and is pretty level headed and never undertakes a project without knowing he can do it.  So when he said those words I felt my stomach drop to the floor!

 

 

 

The next hour or so involved some heavy conversations about jacks and lifts and how we were going to do this.  I made sandwiches for everyone because I thought we could all think better on a full stomach.  Turns out that my Dad original plan involved having the new beam level with the floor upstairs - but that wasn't possible.  The old beam was level with the floor upstairs but the old beam was also twisted - which is how it had gotten level with the floor upstairs.  The 2nd floor was also sagging in the middle and hand come down to rest on the old beam, which had made it all touching.  Taking the old beam down the 2nd floor sagged down a bit more.  Putting the new beam in place - which was perfectly level - just highlighted the floors sagging.

 

So after much thinking and planning and lunch Dad realized that the 2nd floor does not have to be touching the new beam on all points, that the floor joists, that would now be supported by joist hangers

 

 

 

would carry the weight of the floor and distribute it down to the beam.

 

So we set about getting it into place - which honestly took the rest of the afternoon.   I got very nervous during the periods where we were jacking up part of the floor - you could  hear the entire house creak  - and then Kim needed someone to go watch the girls for a bit so I went b/c honestly Brian is more useful than I am and when I came back around 5PM it was all done!  Well, not all done - but some joist hangers were in.  The temporary walls were left in place and on Sunday we set about getting the rest of the joist hangers in.

 

I picked Dad up at 7AM on Sunday and by 7:30AM we were working.  He installed the rest of the joist hangers and I started taking down the doorframe that was around the stairway.  This work involved a chainsaw and a skill saw so I got my fill of power tools this weekend.

 

 

 

 

When he reached a point where I could start taking the temporary walls down I started on that and within an hour or so I had all of those down and all that lumber hauled over to the chicken coop(which Matt is repairing and working on over the next couple of weeks)

 

Then I spent an hour or so getting things cleaned up while Dad finished taking down the doorway by the stairs.  This is what the living room looked like once I had it cleaned up!

 

 

 

 

 

Pay special attention to the stairway - this is what it looked like before

 

 

 

and this is what it looks like now

 

 

 

Dad and I just stood and marveled at how much that one change opened that whole area up!  Now that doesn't seem like a small and scary stairway but a nice open area that takes you to the 2nd floor!

 

We are going to replace the oak treads on the stairs and put in a larger one at the bottom that swoops around the wall.  Its going to be glorious but it has made me go back and think about how I want that room laid out.

 

So this is where we are at for now, piddly work on electrical and construction this week and then next week we will finish electrical and get into the sheetrock - mercifully this will be over before I  know it :) 

 

The house is definitely re-settling and last night walking around upstairs you could hear it.  I get nervous  but then I just walk myself through how the house is supported and I feel fine.

 

Let me leave you with one more before and after