At Home In The Woods

[EddieWalker]

I agree with your contractor friend. Just take it slow when cutting with the sawzall. They are just about the hardest tool in the world to cut anything straight with. I like to mark all four sides of what I 'm cutting so I can have a better idea of how to keep the blade level.

Eddie

 

[dave1949]

Given a choice, and depending on how much you need to correct for, I'd much rather bring up the concrete to where it needs to be and have my top plates all the same height without any shims.

Eddie

I agree.
I think shimming the bottom plate is the only sensible way to make corrections. For your sanity and building the floors, you need to end up with your top plates all on the same level. Tile, carpet, baseboards will cover any reasonable differences along the wall at floor level.

I don't think I would expect to have a perfectly level concrete floor and it's probably considered normal to have to shim a bit.

How much actual variance are you seeing from your level reference mark to the concrete? The level accuracy is good for maybe +- 1/8" if you were very very careful.
Dave.

 

[bake321]

OBED

Dealing with the same weather issues here in southern KY. I dumped our black tank when I saw the chill coming. I'm thinking of getting some RV antifreeze to use in flushing the toilet. Our house is framed, wrapped, windows in and the roof is on. Hired a plumber, but I don't expect much progress with this cold. Our camper furnace has its issues so I bought a "Big Buddy" propane heater to supplement the electric ones. I had a 100 watt bulb in the storage area but had to put a space heater in today do to freezing. We made good use of our YMCA membership today. steam room, sauna and a long shower. We resigned ourselves to spending the winter in the camper, only 7 or 8 weeks till the warm up.

Cary

 

[CurlyDave]

Actually, the slab is too high in one corner and at two spots along the center load bearing wall. We need to shorten the wall at these spots by approx 1/2" to 3/4". A contractor friend of my recommended running a chalk line and using a sawzaw to cut the top of the studs just below the top plate by the needed amount. That approach seems reasonable to me.

Obed

Eddie & Obed:

What am I missing here?

If the plan is to cut off the tops of the studs just below the top plate, the implication to me is that the top plate is going to be removed before doing this.

If you are really going to remove the top plate, pull the nails and use a circular saw. As Eddie says, a Sawzall is the hardest tool to get a straight cut with, and there is no need here. Even a modestly skilled carpenter can cut the studs perfectly square and even with a circular saw, and it is faster to use than a Sawzall.

 

[jake98]

Eddie & Obed:

What am I missing here?

a Sawzall.

Curley, I don't think you are missing anything here.. If you want to do a water level measurement, you mark 'twain' on the corners of the rooms. I love the water level, I can't argue with it. Not sure if Obed's talking about taking the 'see-saw' out of the trusses, but he can't, that's why they don't put trusses over center walls. It's considerably more scarey with roof trusses when you put your foot on one to nail it and you go skateing..
Jake

 

[dcyrilc]

Eddie & Obed:

What am I missing here?

If the plan is to cut off the tops of the studs just below the top plate, the implication to me is that the top plate is going to be removed before doing this.

What I got out of this is that there are only a few that need to be trimmed and that he will be doing it with the top plate on. Then simply renail the tops of those studs. It's the same principle that's used to cut a window or door into an existing wall and is easier when only doing a couple studs than having to reassemble the top of the entire wall. Especially if doing it by yourself.

 

[EddieWalker]

What Cyril said.

I got the impression that it was just a few that were off and doing the cuts in place would be acceptable. Either way, using the water level to mark the cut line of every stud that needs cutting should be done first. Then decide how many and how bad it is.

I also thought about grinding the concrete down, but that really sucks and I'm not sure what other issues the concrete might have. Losing 3/4 of an inch of concrete on a load bearing wall that may or maynot have been done right in the first place might weaken the entire structure. Since it's one area that's high, raising the rest of the slabe is also not very practical.

For precice cuts, and just a few of them, I'd cut half way on the long side, then cut the other have from the other side. It's a pain, but doable with acceptable results. Then screw the top plates back to the studs.

I wonder who noticed the problem? The framers should have right off. Did them bring it up when they noticed it? or is this something Obed noticed and decided to check with the water level?

This all started with the forms. If they were set right, then the floor would be flat. Somebody either didn't pay attention to this, or they didn't care. I've seen it before where they said that it was close enough, and up to the framers to earn their money. That sucks, but it's how some guys think. Get it close enough to get paid, but not put any effort into getting it right.

What has me worried is that there is a pattern here and we're still in the easy part. What happens when they start framing the roof? The roof is always the complicated part of any framing job, and where you learn if your framer knows what he's doing, or not. Unfortuantly, by then, you're already commited to him and his crew, so when they mess that up, it's almost too late to fire them. For Obeds sake, I just hope he takes allot of pictures and holds back payment until he knows it's done right.

Eddie

 

[hitekcountry]

Actually, the slab is too high in one corner and at two spots along the center load bearing wall. We need to shorten the wall at these spots by approx 1/2" to 3/4".

Obed

That 1/2" to 3/4" must be mostly in the center bearing wall which is obviously how you noticed the problem as you began to set your floor trusses. As Jake 98 said you would be getting a see-saw affect where either one end or the other would not be touching down. Being off on the center bearing wall is not that surprising, it's the corner wall being high is the one that would be a concern to me. I suspect the corner wall isn't off by those same numbers. If the perimeter wall is off by 3/4" I'd be pissed big time.

 

[jayste]

Cold Weather Stretch Causing Camper Challenges

The third picture shows what my wife did to show her gratitude for my working on the black tank in the 15 degree F weather. Blueberry pancakes, biscuits and sausage gravy, and fried apples. All made from scratch. As I type this post, the wife is making a pumpkin pie with homemade pie dough. I sure have a wonderful wife!

Obed

I told you she was a pioneer woman! I'll be willing to bet she can do all this with that youngin' hanging on her hip or strapped to her back!

 

[jake98]

What Cyril said.


I wonder who noticed the problem? The framers should have right off. Did them bring it up when they noticed it? or is this something Obed noticed and decided to check with the water level?

This all started with the forms. If they were set right,
Eddie

The wall should have gone in later. Floor trusses are meant to go their full span. You can't do much about it with roof trusses that go over partitons, but it definately gets a little dicey, you can't bend them like you'd think, even a little..
Jake