PREPPING THE STICKS AND BRICKS TO SELL

A giant step towards our retirement and the start of our fulltime travels has been taken! This past Monday morning the crew to repair the foundation on the sticks and bricks arrived.

First thought? Wow all the money I am paying for these repairs and this is it? The crew arrived in a ton and a half truck pulling the above trailer. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, for the price maybe a bunch of heavy equipment, cranes, dozers and a battalion of hardened construction workers in hard hats?

No heavy equipment, or battalion of construction workers, just three guys with shovels, a heavy duty compressor, welder and a lot of  steel piers with accessories.

However, all said and done, it was a hard working crew of three and it was evident this was not their first rodeo. They worked diligently to dig through roots, around gas lines and electric lines to achieve the depth needed to install the pier systems.

The contraption pictured above is installed underneath the foundation footing.

Two hydraulic cylinders are bolted to the contraption and lots of hydraulic lines attached.

The steel piers are then installed into the hole for them in the contraption (hope I am not being too technical here).

Once the steel piers are in the contraption, they use a big compressor attached to the hydraulic cylinders to push the piers into the ground. Additional lengths are added (joints are similar to those used on tent poles) until the guage in the picture above reads 3,000 psi. The depth of the piers ranged between 25 foot to the deepest one was 28 foot.  Once all the piers have been installed to the proper depth for the strength needed, the "super" compressor is attached to all piers by hoses. Each hydraulic cyclinder on each pier is adjusted to the pressure needed to raise that pier (thus raising the house) to the hieght pre-determined by my engineer. I say "my" engineer, because I think for the amount of money involved, I bought him.

Anyway, the house was raised, it is all level now.  Best part, it carries a lifetime warranty and is certified by "my" engineer as structurally sound. Our next step is to make minor repairs to our interior walls and ceilings, moving a house around tends to make some minor cracking in a few places.

We have a realtor coming over this afternoon to meet with us. She may be able to advise us on what else we need to do to the house to sell it. I will try to keep you informed as our journey unfolds.

Until next time, God bless us all.............................