Above 1200 Sq/FT Harley Jim's place

[harley jim]

Kirk, we'll talk about that sometime, lol

Legenddc, I have a pair with the gel inserts, I will have them on.

Strouty, it rained about ½" that night and today I ran the lawn tractor over it and it compacted perfect. Your progress is what is making me get moving, you have moved a s#/! Ton of stuff in the last couple of weeks.

Willy, I'm thinking a mini gantry crane with an ATV winch might be the way to go, I can get one of those harness from a hand glider!!!

I sealed the door and the new wall that the door is in.

The door and the walls on either side of the door sit on a slab that is the basement floor and the apron outside, they poured it all in one piece!

In this pic you can see the apron outside. I have got a small amount of water under the wall when it rains from the east so I took an oscillating saw and cleared a ½" high grove that goes back to the stud, I filled that grove with 100% silicone I also lifted the threshold on the door and pumped more silicone under it. That gives me about a 9' continuous silicone seal across that wall. Then I went inside and did the same thing. I used three tubes of silicone to do this, it's supposed to rain tonight so that will give me a test if it comes from the east!
I am putting a LVP floor in the basement so I want to make sure its dry around the door.

Then I went to a buddy's house and picked up about 200 tomato plants, some are Better Boy and some are Roma, I'll plant some, the bil will plant some and the rest will go to Athens, Pat's Daughter and Sil will plant the rest on there 7 acres, hopefully we will be able to can them this fall.

Then I went to Donnies and got this tank that I had stored in the woods. I built a square tube frame and bolted it to the top rim and I built a pipe spreader and welded it into the center of the tank to keep it from spreading.

I drilled eight 2" holes in it for drainage.

I'm going to put pallet lumber around the outside so it will kind of match the chicken coop. It will be the first raised bed for my garden. If you cant reach the ground bring the ground up to you. I'm going to help the bil put up some chain link fence tomorrow and hopefully I will have time to fill my raised bed after I am done with him.

 

[harley jim]

I helped the bil yesterday, we put up about 300 ft. of fence. He needed a driveway gate so he had an old sears 3' Gate that I gave him last year, it is the type that has the bolt together corners, we took it apart and replaced the top and bottom rails with 10' pieces of top rail and put a new piece of chain link fence on it.

This is the view of his place from my front porch.
I went back to John's and got more tomato plants, were over 300 plants now, Charlie took them home and will start planting them, should be able to can some juice this fall.
I spent the day chasing a water leak in my basement. I originally thought it was coming in under the wall but no such luck.

 

[harley jim]

This is where the patio meets the basement foundation, there was a small crack along them and someone had pumped it full of caulk.

I took a hammer and chisel and opened up the crack and dug all of the caulk out then used a blow gun on a portable air compressor to clean it out.
Then I took hydraulic cement and pressed it into the crack and also built up a small ramp to shed the water away.

This is where the stairs meet the foundation, to the left of the vertical seam is the coal room and to the right is the basement. Tomorrow I am going to take the top course of brick off and rework this area, I'll need to set another course of brick back on the top row but I will turn them flatside like the others. It is supposed to rain again tonight so I guess we will see if I got the leak this time.

 

[xtremek]

Good luck with that.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Hope you are leakless.

 

[harley jim]

It didnt rain here last night, it did all around us but not here, Not sure if that is good or bad.

 

[xtremek]

So when's the next front supposed to come through? I hope you got it fixed.

 

[Strouty]

Water is pretty much one of those things that can and will get anywhere, I would also try and do something as a coating to help waterproof your repair, even paint would help, but there are plenty of specialized top coatings for this purpose, I just don't know a good one that will look nice after being painted on.

 

[harley jim]

They say I have about 10 days before the next rain. I'll have time to soak it with a hose on my time now, it was supposed to rain last night at 1:00 am I didn't want to be sucking water with a shop vac at that time.
I have a buddy that is a block mason when I get done breaking things, patching holes he is going to skim coat all of the flat surfaces, (steps and patio) with some magic stuff to fill and level things then he will stucco all of the vertical surfaces. I'm hoping all of this combined will shed the water. I'm hoping anyway!

This is where I'm working today.
You can see the water is coming over the edge and running who knows where.

I knocked the top row of brick off and cleaned everything before building the form.

Putting the 2x6 on top will give me a ½" overhang on the concrete, this will give my buddy a lip to run the stucco into, he says ¼" to ⅜" for the stucco, so that should make a drip lip to help the water.

I put tapcons in the wall to help hold the concrete tight to the old stuff. I'll wire a rebar to the screws before I pour it.
Off to lowes to buy some quickcrete.

 

[xtremek]

Ok, wait. I'm confused. I thought you were just going to replace/point the bricks. Are you going to just pour concrete into the gap?

 

[harley jim]

I was going to lay brick until I figured out that my water issue was coming from higher up,
( I thought it was coming under the door, once I sealed that the water started pooling inside the basement)
Yesterday I sealed the patio, today I took the top course of brick off and formed the wall and poured it solid to keep the water out. All of the brick will eventually be covered with stucco so pouring this section wont mater in the long run.

 

[harley jim]

The concrete is about set, Im going to pull the form and brush the finish in about ½ hour

While cleaning up I was washing the steps down with the water hose and watching for water coming into the basement.

Bingo, I found it, this is part of an old gutter drain system.
I took a hammer and chisel and pulled these brick out so I could access the pipe. When I run water in this spot it shows up inside.
So I guess I start digging this **** out tomorrow.

 

[Kevkx125]

Cool Jim that you found that, I hope the repair goes as planned.

 

[Bears Fan]

****! That looks like a lot of work

 

[harley jim]

Kev around here there is no plan, I just roll with the next event.
Tony, it is going to be more than I wanted but not surprised, the steps were built in 1960. There are some holes and cracks to deal with and I am trying to get everything tuck pointed and filled so they can be resurfaced. I believe this was the result of a downspout that may have backed up or became dislodged years ago. The whole area is undermined and washed out.
Tomorrow will be another adventure.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

What alien paradise do you live in where you get 10 days with no rain. I think the record here for the last 2 years has been 5 days.

That hidden drain looks like a real bear to tear out. Is it leaking around it, or just through it? Do you think a cap would work?

 

[harley jim]

THEY SAID 10 days, I dont believe THEY, I haven't seen 10 clear days in a long time either. I'm not going to wait to find out.
I'm pretty sure its leaking around it. I'm thinking that I'm going to need to take some bricks off of the wall and do some digging, I get water in the coal room also, I just hope I dont have to go up much higher than three steps.

 

[Strouty]

Stuff like that I am sure was great when it was first installed, but whoever did the steps should have removed it first not buried it. Glad you found it, the repairs are coming along nicely, keep at it, I need some of your motivation now.

 

[xtremek]

Good luck. Glad it's you and not me.

 

[harley jim]

I spent the day running,
Dr. office, post office, lowes twice, Cleveland faster, Barber shop, Wally world,
I try to do this on purpose, its 11 miles to town so when I go I make it count.
The hole is drying out nicely and I bought everything that I thought I might need so I'm ready to start first thing in the morning.
Thanks for the support guys

 

[harley jim]

Ok, I have been at it all day but I think I found the problem,
(I actually saw the hole) when I broke the cast iron elbow out there was a hole in the brick to make room for the elbow. I took an air chisel and cleaned everything back, trimmed off some bricks and washed it out.

Got the elbow out of the way

The left side was still solid

I like this stuff, I have used it on other repairs and it dose what it is supposed to.

I mixed small batches and worked quick because hydraulic cement dries in just a couple of minutes.

Got the forms set in place.

It took six bags of quickcrete and several well placed bricks to fill it up.
The treads are going to be resurfaced and the walls are going to get stucco so I didnt have to rebuild the brick, made things much easier.
Pat says you know you have made it when all you have to do is sit and watch the concrete harden. Well I guess I've made it.

I'm also watching the neighbors new colt. You can just see it through the bushes.

 

[Kevkx125]

Nice Jim the repair looks well done. What's next on the never ending list?

 

[xtremek]

Looks like a good job. What are you going to resurface the treads with?

 

[harley jim]

Thanks Kev, Its looking like I may have to help out a neighbor, his general contractor bailed on him and left the state, The neighbor, Josh took delivery of his windows today and drywall is scheduled for next tuesday, I cant leave him hanging.

Kirk, Biggen came by tonight to look at it, he said the name of something, but I cant remember.
He ownes Biggens Masonry and dose this stuff for a living so I just follow his lead.

Tomorrow will be an interesting day!!!

 

[drivesitfar]

nice work not only figuring out where the water was getting into your basement but also all the work taking out the old brick and then replacing with cement. I can't say I've ever seen a fix like this and looking forward to seeing how it looks when you are finished.

crossing fingers that this dries up your basement cause even though you can go a few days without rain I know from your stories that when it does rain it's more than a SEATTLE DRIZZLE.

love the comment about watching cement dry!!

 

[harley jim]

I'm as curious to see how it comes out as you are.
I'm hoping that this cures the leak in the coal room also. It is about 10' x 10' square and would be a great room to store christmas stuff and canned goods in.
Josh was able to get a crew to install the windows so I was able to get out of that one. Biggen called last night and told me he blew a bearing in his cement mixer so I told him to get it over here. I put the shaft in my arbor press and still had to heat it with the torch to get the pully off. It took four hours to get it disassembled, cleaned, and replace the grease fitting. Now he can take the parts home and assemble it. He bought a bearing and seal kit so it should go back together easy.
I filled cracks in the stairs and reset about 20 bricks also today.

13 of these were loose, I set them off and chipped off the old mortar.

Three of these were loose as was a few more down lower.
I also grouted the cracks between the steps and the wall.
Pat is watering the flower bed and baby rabbits started running so Kayla caught one.

We saw three babies and there have been three adults hanging around, the hawks will enjoy them.

 

[harley jim]

Changed gears today, I needed to complete the siding on the gable end of the shop, once I put the carport in place it would be very hard to access that area because you cant walk on the carport. We are planning on moving it tomorrow, they say we could have rain on sunday night/Monday morning.

The bil had a layover in NC. So he got to the party late but we got it done.
One of my cctv cameras went out so I replaced it while I was up there also.
It was a little muddy so I hauled in six tons of 57s to spread on top of the mud.

This wall will get vinyl siding sunday or Monday.
See where the bil hung his bumper brackets to repaint them. I could have kicked him!

 

[xtremek]

Will you try to do the other side the same day as the "painted" wall?

 

[harley jim]

I'm not sure, right now my focus is getting car ports moved so that Sexton's can get my cabin moved in, then I can relax a bit. With the water leak and the cabin I've been a little pushed. I will probably jump back to the basement area and get the knee walls built, then Biggen can do my stucco and stair treads.

 

[xtremek]

I like that plan. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[harley jim]

We got up and went to an estate sale first thing this morning, it was kinda weird since the people were really good friends of ours, rona took both of them on the same day last fall, John was 57 Darline was 54. I couldn't buy anything but got to visit one last time.
Then we went to the Mainstreet cruise in, in Cleveland and passed out flyers for our show in September.
Then the new neighbor Josh called and wanted help moving some construction stuff to the barn and three large timber beams to the front porch they probably weighed 300 lbs each, he is going to clean them and put them in his living room. He gave me a really nice wood burning stove, its styled like an Ashley stove. I took the tractor with the forks and moved everything, he is trying to clean up for a birthday party next weekend.
Then finally I was able to move one of the carports.

I have this old gas station sign post that we powder coated and will eventually be put in front of the shop but today it was a brace to move a carport.

Made it down to the shop and when I started to turn it didnt want to follow.

So we put a ratchet ******** the rear to help persuade it to turn.

Coming uphill went easy.

Dude, the bil was watching trees and other buildings.

Past the chicken coop.

Down this bank was supposed to be the scary part, the rear was dragging so it went really smooth, I was afraid the tractor was going to slide in the mud but it didnt.

Landed less than 6" from where I wanted it, we unhooked and pushed sideways with the forks.

We put some gravel down to set the runners on, I'll spread more when its dryer.

That's all for today, we will move the big one tomorrow.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Nice work

 

[xtremek]

Nice job on the move. What's going in there?

 

[Michael B.]

Jim I had a very similar move when I built my shop. I wish I had a post like yours when we moved my shed.

 

[harley jim]

Thanks,
I'm going to put steel storage and ladder storage on the right wall, I'll put siding on that wall also, the sand blast cabinet, the anvil, a welding bench, a slop sink, and the wood pile, Im trying to move the dirty stuff back there and have a cleaner shop.

 

[harley jim]

Michael, you had to deal with that storage room upsetting the balance also,
That pole saved the day for me,

 

[Strouty]

It is always fun moving things that are too big to move in a normal way. How much bigger is the bigger one?

 

[harley jim]

the first one was 20x20 the one we are moving today is 20x35.
It is only going half way to it's new home, I want to build the knee walls while there is nothing in my way, but it needs to move so the company can get the new building in its place.
Not the ideal way to do it but its progress.

 

[Michael B.]

Jim I used pallet dolly’s on the opposite end from the tractor. They worked pretty well.

 

[harley jim]

That's pretty cool, I may try something like that when I go down the hill with the big one. Thanks for posting that idea