Raising the Rat Shack

[My Old Tools]

With all that PT and labor I think you could have built new.

 

[Platonic Solid]

I you really want to get rid of that boulder, it might be easier than you think !

• Dig around it on all until more than 50% is exposed. The more the better.
• Rent and SDS drill and long carbide bit
• Drill hole in a straight line across the top of the boulder trying to follow any natural flaws you can detect.
• Use "feathers and wedges", one in each hole. Drive the wedge using a hand sledge. One good hit and move on to the next one.

It will crack (if you have dug down far enough) ! remove feathers and wedges, drill holes 90° from the first crack. Repeat until you can actually remove a piece.

Since I really don't know how big the bolder is and the septic tank is very close by, I'm just going to leave this one as is. At least I know one area that won't collapse from chipmunk caves.
I did learned something:
1. How to remove a bolder.
2. What an SDS drill is (after googling it).
I'm glad I didn't try doing this with my Makita hammer drill.

 

[Platonic Solid]

With all that PT and labor I think you could have built new.

Labor doesn't count since I'm not paying anyone and I'm having fun. Assuming I succeed, after the structure is resettled I will have a fair amount of lumber left over. Everything is screwed so disassembly will be easy. Might be enough to build a small garden shed at my residence. Bonus!

 

[TheNerd]

Keep us posted, looks like fun to me.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Progress Pics:

My high precision plumb bob (it's an old window counter weight hanging on a small ratchet strap).



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This is the first raising stage to get the 3 lifting beams level. The max lift range of the jacks is 9 inches and that's exactly what I needed to level it. I went back and forth raising each jack 1/4" at a time. The posts on the bottle jacks are not physically attached to the beams, but I figured cross bracing would be a good idea anyway. The structure didn't complain much at all and everything remained remarkably stable.

​

 

[The Cobbler]

I admire your enthusiasm . thanks for sharing the journey
a buddy raised & moved back (30ft) a 500 sqft plus garage .
it was remarkably easy.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Progress pics (continued):

​

 

[forAK]

Once in the air, what would the plan be to create a new sill plate/foundation?

 

[Platonic Solid]

forAK - At the moment I'm thinking: Cut away the bad stuff - fill interior and 1ft perimeter exterior with 3/4" gravel 4-6 inches deep - make new sill with 4x6 pressure treated to sit on gravel - patch 4x6 or 4x4 to existing posts - make pressure treated floor.

I still need to figure out a low cost retaining wall for the gravel. 16 in. x 8 in. x 4 in. Concrete Block is only $1.40 each, which works out to the same cost per foot as 4x4 pressure treated.

Also need to figure out what to put on the lower exterior walls. Some type of horizontal siding would look best.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I've been waiting for the pictures with the building up in the air. Is the roof line getting straighter as you bring it up?

 

[Platonic Solid]

Stuart in MN - No the roof is not getting straighter. I've done everything possible to make sure the roof line and contours don't change. If the roof line changes, it'll mess up my roofing job. I really don't want to do that again.

 

[theoldwizard1]

... make new sill with 4x6 pressure treated to sit on gravel ...

Save a buck. Use two 2x6 PT boards and stagger the joints. Also use galvanized nails to hold them together. The PT chemical will eat standard hardware in a short time.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Save a buck. Use two 2x6 PT boards and stagger the joints. Also use galvanized nails to hold them together. The PT chemical will eat standard hardware in a short time.

You are so right . Not sure what I was thinking since I already purchased the 2x6x12 PT boards. I didn't realize that two 2x6s are cheaper than one 4x6.

Edit: I suppose the cost makes sense as a 4x6 is 1/2" thicker than two 2x6s.

 

[rburke65]

Quite the learning experience. It may not make economical sense, but I'm sure lots of knowledge.

 

[Platonic Solid]

I admire your enthusiasm . thanks for sharing the journey
a buddy raised & moved back (30ft) a 500 sqft plus garage .
it was remarkably easy.

Raising is one thing, moving a structure that size would be interesting to see.

 

[TractorJeff]

LOL!
With the framework (nice job) you have inside of yours, you could back a hay wagon in there. Let the air out of the tires, brace it to the wagon bed, blow the tires up and Go!
I have been watching your progress and as far as the "naysayers" go, just ignore them as you are/have done something few people have the ambition to do!
Keep it up!

 

[xtremek]

Looks like you're well on your way. Pretty good so far. I love these resurrections.

 

[RickP]

I still need to figure out a low cost retaining wall for the gravel. 16 in. x 8 in. x 4 in. Concrete Block is only $1.40 each, which works out to the same cost per foot as 4x4 pressure treated.

For low cost retaining walls, I've often used treated landscape timbers:

Only $4 at Home Depot

They're definitely not the same quality as a 4x4, but they're okay for holding gravel. For reinforcement, I drill a hole vertically through each timber and pound a piece of rebar down into the ground. The half-inch rebar looked a little weak to me, so I went up one size.

 

[LB-1911]

LOL!
With the framework (nice job) you have inside of yours, you could back a hay wagon in there. Let the air out of the tires, brace it to the wagon bed, blow the tires up and Go!

I have been watching your progress and as far as the "naysayers" go, just ignore them as you are/have done something few people have the ambition to do!
Keep it up!

^^ You've been there too.


Platonic Solid

Raising is one thing, moving a structure that size would be interesting to see.

They made it look "easy" w/ this 12'x20' grain bldg.



Tipping and hauling a grain building on a hay wagon

 

[Platonic Solid]

Progress Pics:

I'm officially ready to lift! As much as I wanted to go for it, I decided to wait till next time as there's no point lifting the building and then leaving it up there for a week with no progress. It's also like mid-summer temperatures today and I was starting to slow down from the heat. I debated putting some cross bracing on top, but I'm 50/50 on whether that's really necessary. I've got X and Y direction bracing covered, just not sure about Z. If I add Z cross bracing I'll be ducking even more than I do now during the raising process.

​

 

[TractorJeff]

I think you have enough bracing in it!
If it wasn't so hot and you were ready, I'd say "Go for It!"
Take your time, lift it up, shake it a little, seems stable, raise it up and "Git Ur Dun!"

 

[My Old Tools]

I lifted mine with a single 20 ton hydraulic house jack and a 4x4. I just raised a spot a couple of inches jacking under the top plate. blocked it, and moved a few feet. A couple of laps around the building and I was up high enough to knock out the rotten sill and slide a treated 4x6 under the studs. After that it was toenailing and scabbing studs to the 4x6, and then pour a floor inside.

 

[MikeF2316]

Progress Pics:

I'm officially ready to lift! As much as I wanted to go for it, I decided to wait till next time as there's no point lifting the building and then leaving it up there for a week with no progress. It's also like mid-summer temperatures today and I was starting to slow down from the heat. I debated putting some cross bracing on top, but I'm 50/50 on whether that's really necessary. I've got X and Y direction bracing covered, just not sure about Z. If I add Z cross bracing I'll be ducking even more than I do now during the raising process.

Yeah, it was real hot here today too. After work, I put sealer on 16 sq ft of concrete pad. That was plenty of work outside for me. It was 31° C, 37 with the humidex (87°F/98), that's too hot for me to work outside.

By the way, nice progress! It's flying!

 

[Platonic Solid]

I lifted mine with a single 20 ton hydraulic house jack and a 4x4. I just raised a spot a couple of inches jacking under the top plate. blocked it, and moved a few feet. A couple of laps around the building and I was up high enough to knock out the rotten sill and slide a treated 4x6 under the studs. After that it was toenailing and scabbing studs to the 4x6, and then pour a floor inside.

If I jacked under the top plate the walls would fall off. Do you have pics of your restoration? I assume you had some sill to actually block against. As you can see, I have nothing.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Progress Pics @ 1:30 break:

First thing I've learned is the Ellis Lifting Shores ROCK!!! Way easier and safer than playing with the bottle jacks. Not even sure I needed the center posts that I used bottle jacks on. I got the Lifting Shores with the bearings and I'm very glad I did. Even with the bearings I ended up using a pipe wrench to turn the giant wing nut. I could do it by hand. but it was getting painful.

Second lesson: The $20 Big Red 8-Ton Bottle Jack (linked) works, but the specs lie. Max height is 15", not 18". Package claims 17 5/8".

3rd lesson: If you're not used to doing deep knee bends for 7 hrs. straight (which I'm not), be prepared for some real muscle pain. On the up side, I've lost 11 lbs. since starting this project.

​

 

[Platonic Solid]

Progress Pics - End of day 5:00pm:

This is as high as I'm going. Right side has been lifted a total of 21" and Left side 14".

​

 

[Platonic Solid]

Progress Pics - End of day 5:00pm continued:

The lifting frame and wall supports worked great. No issues. If I had it to do over, I would do it exactly the same way. I was constantly checking that everything remained level in all directions. Though you can't really see it in the pics, large welding clamps are great way to hold a garage door up.

​

So I saw the culprit making holes and nests today. My best guess is it's a vole. Saw him disappear down a hole, so a took the rake and filled in the hole and stomped on it. 3 hrs. later the hole was back. Not sure how to get rid of these things.

​

Next step - Cut the bottom off.

 

[Squashfest81]

Looking great. Now to bury that vole under 4 inches of slab and 2 rows of block.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Next step - Cut the bottom off.

This is what I am interested in !

 

[xtremek]

This is so cool to watch. Great job.

 

[lakeroadster]

Well that was certainly an uplifting experience...

What are you planning to do for a foundation? Pressure treated columns, perma-columns or ?

And how are you planning to do the actual excavation.

 

[cowboy73]

That is some impressive lifting framing!!!! I have no doubt the final product will be as equally impressive. As far as getting rid of the critters, block off all but one hole and fill their "home with water from a hose. Should do it.

 

[My Old Tools]

If I jacked under the top plate the walls would fall off. Do you have pics of your restoration? I assume you had some sill to actually block against. As you can see, I have nothing.

Sorry, too long ago. Mine might have been in a little better shape.

 

[Done That]

"So I saw the culprit making holes and nests today. My best guess is it's a vole. Saw him disappear down a hole, so a took the rake and filled in the hole and stomped on it. 3 hrs. later the hole was back. Not sure how to get rid of these things"

I'd drop a poison bait block down the hole and let 'em eat and die.

I also use Trapline traps and catch moles and voles etc by the bucketfulls on my property.

 

[Platonic Solid]

lakeroadster - No foundation, that's beyond the scope of this project. Just PT lumber on gravel with a PT wood floor on top. To have a foundation of any kind, I would have to build on another location on the property due to this shed’s close proximity to the septic tank. As soon as we start talking foundations, then it's no longer worth saving this structure.

cowboy73 - I don't expect the final product to be all that impressive. I'll be happy if it's sturdy, dry and rodent free. Water for killing voles is an option, but not while it's lifted in the air as that could cause the lifting shores to shift depending where the vole tunnels go.

Done That - I could deal with the poison block method. The traps won't work for me as this is a rental property and I don't want to have to go there regularly to deal with that.

 

[lakeroadster]

lakeroadster - No foundation, that's beyond the scope of this project. Just PT lumber on gravel with a PT wood floor on top. To have a foundation of any kind, I would have to build on another location on the property due to this shed’s close proximity to the septic tank. As soon as we start talking foundations, then it's no longer worth saving this structure.

So what will keep the wind from blowing it over?

 

[F451]

For the voles, I recently used road flares to rid our lawn of some moles. They're a bear to get rid of. A friend suggested the road flares, cheap, fast, easy. Scratch light it, stick it in the hole, cover it up, let it burn. Easy peasy.

And nice work on the shed there, looking forward to seeing next steps.

 

[theoldwizard1]

lakeroadster - No foundation, that's beyond the scope of this project. Just PT lumber on gravel ...

Dig down about 6" for that gravel. Hand tamp it. Unless you get really bad frost heaves in your area, it will be almost as good as a real foundation.

 

[Platonic Solid]

So what will keep the wind from blowing it over?

It's no different than the prefab sheds/garages that they deliver and drop onto a gravel pad. I've never heard of any of those blowing over - at least not in CT. The only difference between what I'm doing and the way it was originally built over 80 years ago is that I'm putting it on gravel instead of putting it on dirt. It never had any posts sunk into the ground. Here's a pic of the original sill:

as always - pic linked to larger image

Underneath the corner was a couple bricks.​

 

[lakeroadster]

It's no different than the prefab sheds/garages that they deliver and drop onto a gravel pad. I've never heard of any of those blowing over - at least not in CT. The only difference between what I'm doing and the way it was originally built over 80 years ago is that I'm putting it on gravel instead of putting it on dirt. It never had any posts sunk into the ground.

Most of the prefab's have floors and floor joist, which add considerable weight for "ballast". Then the contents of the building sits on the floor, more ballast.

I was just curious what your plans were. It would seem prudent to anchor it in some manner after putting all that time and effort into it.