Sloped Floors
I am under contract on a house and I had a Structural Engineer check out the house for me because the house has sloped floors. It is a 3 story 3 family house. The first floor is not to bad, second is so so, and the third is really sloping. The engineer said to put a 2 beams in the basement, and that will prevent the house from sagging any further. The issue is cosmetically, the second and third floors do not look very appealing. The slope starts about one foot from the wall, dips rapidly, then gradually dips to the center of the room. On the third floor, one of the walls is also crooked. Will tenants not want to rent this house because of these cosmetic issues, and if so, will my ability to charge a decent rent go out the window? Will I have trouble selling to? A self leveling substance will not correct this problem.
Dear Spring has come, the grass has rise.
In corrections of this kind there are no shortcuts. I suggest you get one of those little red light leveling tools and a few jacks. Draw your lines and install your beams. You may have to use a few little chips to achieve correction but it is no impossible task. I use my Guadetmala helpers, we yell and curse and in a short while all is well. We shim like crazy and address any other little irregularities that often acompanied these tasks.
That is the price you pay for a priceless old McKinley Stinker or a Pseudo Victorian. Wait til you run into a real original where they have the kitchen in the basement.
My people all having arrived in this country as indentured servants we know the area well. Remember Miles Standish? Well guess who it was that filed his trigger on his stupid musket, cleaned his boots and was the first one to learn the Indian Language, why? very simple. Not much dating available to a servant. And what was worse this was being a servant to people not used to servants.
At the end of his seven years of slavery, no money, lots of abuse, strange religious customs enforced celebicy whatever, he left and went to Rhode Island where all the swingers (for that time) lived. He built a house (that was not slanted) and lived out the rest of his life, smoking, drinking and making lewd remarks to all that would listen. Now that was a relation to be proud of.
Most important is the installation of closets. Woman have so many clothes nowdays and to hold a tenant other then the future lure of ownership you must give them the things that make life worth living. Also redo your electrical box so that there is enough for all the little goodies like Computers, funny games, and all the electrical things woman now use to cover up a lack of knowledge in the food preperation department. about 125 is the minimum these days. Otherwise you will get a call from a tenant that the lights are all out and where does he stick in the penny? Inform him that times have changed, we do not use fuses anymore instead there are little switches he can throw. Of course if the lights go out again ask him to remove some of his goodies, like a computer, an iron, a soldering device. then next time list his items find out what his true requirement is for electricity and bill him for the upgrade. Do not flip a coin with him to decide who pays. You will loose. Well at least out here in LaLa land we have some very strange tenants.
I mean for real, like the one who called me up said he would be a little behind on his rent and asked me if I could help him set up a Meth lab.
Enjoy be sure to install the beams right side up, otherwise creak creak and sag sag.
Lucius in the midst of removing a splinter. Soon container houses and no more splinters, just burns from grinding metal to make my door and window openings.
Cheers Lucius