Would you touch this with a 10 foot pole? Wood floor that IMO should be concrete

[ddbackhoe]

Re: Would you touch this with a 10 foot pole? Wood floor in a job that IMO should be

He doesn’t seem concerned.

Quit trying to micromanage his problem. Walk away until he is ready to fix it (probably when it caves completely). Frustrating yourself over someone else's problem isnt healthy and wont get it fixed.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Re: Would you touch this with a 10 foot pole? Wood floor in a job that IMO should be

Just buy a case of beer, go over there and talk about it endlessly.

:thumbsup: Although that area has been known for its tea totalers

 

[GLyford]

Re: Would you touch this with a 10 foot pole? Wood floor in a job that IMO should be

Within his parameters, I would think the steps would look something like this.
1. fix current house wall/porch roof flashing details so it no more water gets in. This is what I am assuming you mean by "water issues". If he will not consider this, then you are done, walk away.
2. rip out the slab/supports, and mitigate any issues with the brick veneer support found at that point.
3. build a wood deck floor using PT lumber that will work as a deck/porch floor even if he does not finish enclosing it. Proper header details at the house end, and probably pier(s) and a beam midspan, since the allowable span will will be less than the TJIs. Since it is a porch and not a deck, I think you might as you say get away with building even with the inside floor, allowing for 5/4, trex, or subfloor for later finish flooring, etc. as desired. If as you suspect he is not going to get around to enclosing it, mahogany, teak, or ipe wood decking looks nice if he's actually willing to splurge a bit, and is still good for an open porch.

Since he is talking to you "as a friend" rather than as a contractor, it sounds like he doesn't want to spend what he knows this will cost him. I would be very wary of not getting paid. If you are willing to do it to help him out and aren't concerned with the money piece (may or may not happen), make sure he buys the materials up front so you aren't out anything when it all goes pear shaped and he stops wanting to play with it and you can walk away from a disaster at least without any cost to you. If he is willing to actually pay you as a contractor, tell him he has to give you more control of the project to make sure it will be done to your standards.

I am curious what the finish grade is outside the block wall, is the current inside level with grade, or is it set down? If there are moisture issues under the floor beyond simply what is coming down the wall, then I would think some form of ventilation will be needed to make sure it does not stay that soggy wet under there. I didn't see any vents in your pictures?

If it is at the point where it is almost standing water under that space all the time (even accounting for proper roof details), I would think something like fix drains/downsputs/grading around house so ground water does not all run to/under porch, then fill to above the outside grade, some form of membrane floor to keep it from soaking in, and drains so water inside runs onto the surface grade outside. If everything outside is pushing water to this spot (house roof, porch roof/wall, ground slope, etc.) and he won't fix them, just walk away. About the only way to build above a swamp would be to use an aluminum boat dock...

 

[fried1765]

Re: Would you touch this with a 10 foot pole? Wood floor in a job that IMO should be

Quit trying to micromanage his problem. Walk away until he is ready to fix it (probably when it caves completely). Frustrating yourself over someone else's problem isnt healthy and wont get it fixed.

I agree!
Either tell the guy you are too busy, or that you don't feel comfortable doing the job.
Suggest that he get other opinions (estimates), and then let HIM choose which estimate he likes.
Do NOT make yours one of the estimates, no matter how high the other estimates may be.
His, is a job you do not need/want!

 

[Egon]

The owner has to make some decisions. Anything less than removal and an engineered replacement will fail again.

Run, don’t walk away. It is no win for you.

 

[4570Man]

Re: Would you touch this with a 10 foot pole? Wood floor in a job that IMO should be

That whole area is screwed and from the water flow the foundation will go next. Probably no gutters and roof run off is collecting. That is a major project and would need a lot more pics of how you could manage the water. Run away

There are roof gutters but rather or not they actually work and aren’t stopped up is another question. The grade slopes towards the house which is obviously not ideal. Then there’s a ditch line at the top of the hill that later runs through a culvert under the driveway. Keeping this ditch flowing migrates the issue, but the culvert stops up and then flows huge amounts of water towards the house. And to the later post about getting paid. The guy has loads of money and he would pay me if he ever gives the go ahead but he’s a cheapskate and will never agree to the upfront cost to fix this whole issue. That’s why i want to use concrete. I know it’ll never rot out despite being neglected.

 

[Budweiser John]

Ain’t no salvage to what’s there. Is the entire exterior brick veneer? If so, how is it supported on the rest of the building? Brick ledge as a part of the footing wall? Is the house on a crawl space or basement? Counting the block courses under the patio in question it appears as if there is about 64” of depth. Why not simply fill that area With fill sand to grade, support the brick veneer on a 4x4x 3/8 ledger angle through bolted onto the footing wall. I suspect the existing brick was laid up with traditional wall ties every 5 courses or so and as such will stay intact whilst the angle is installed (carefully). To find (if) there are wall ties use a magnetic stud finder along the horizontal joints.
The new deck built out of treated lumber simply posts down to rest the existing block work.
I frankly don’t see this as an insurmountable project, but should be orisutrated as a client, contractor relationship. My 02.

B. John

 

[MossRoad]

If he wants to enclose it, tear it all out and put in proper foundation and framing, and correct the drainage while you're in there with your machine. Tell him that's the way it should be done, and he'll regret doing it any other way in the future.

Or, if there's already a concrete wall at the correct height, and you don't want to tear that out, you could pour another wall inside the existing wall and make a ledge to set floor joists onto. Or you could lag-bolt a double rim joist to the existing concrete wall at the proper height for floor joists to sit on.

 

[TnAndy]

I wouldn't even touch it with a 12' german........

 

[forgeblast]

So if it gets ripped out what about putting in aluminum decking. It will make the space under it dry, since the aluminum decking has channels.
what is he going to do with the space looks like a good root cellar.