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The only way to fix that sinking floor is to get dirty.

By
Home Builder with Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 CSL#642819

 

 

The only way to fix that sinking floor

is to get dirty.

 

My friends like to tease me about how I never get dirty while at work. Maybe it’s just that I deal with decision makers regularly and I feel the need to look presentable at any time. Today was not one of those days however.

 

I recently posted about a sinking floor in an apartment community in Rancho Cordova. There was no getting around it, I needed to get under the building and get dirty. I spent a good chunk of the day setting piers in concrete for the new framing to sit on. There were ten piers, each needed a hole to be dug. With 17” of clearance, the digging had to be done while laying down.

 

I had a respirator to protect me from the dust, the rest of me got to roll around in the powdery soil below. I felt like Pigpen when it came time to crawl out. Of course I was back under to drag the small buckets of concrete to each of the holes to set the pier block.

 

I think this dirty general contractor will sleep well tonight, and be back under to framing things up tomorrow.

 

 

Comments (26)

A. J. Zaki
REMAX Realty Pros - Boca Raton, FL
Home Finder In Florida

                                                                                                                         That sounds like a lot of work! Great job and happy Friday! 

May 22, 2014 11:30 PM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Tom, I've been under a home with 17" crawl space. I was only there to clean the debris.  I cannot imagine digging holes and transporting concrete to re-set pillars. That is not only hard work, but clearly work that requires one to know what they are doing!  We know that is YOU!

May 23, 2014 12:53 AM
Tony & Darcy Cannon
Aubrey and Associates Realty - Layton, UT
The C Team

Tom, I tip my hat to you!  I hate working in crawl spaces!  That is a lot of work to dig out for those piers in that tight of space, I hope that today is a "cleaner" day!

May 23, 2014 02:39 AM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Sure glad that is you and not me under there Tom.  We always look to the skinnyest person on the crew for these jobs and it has never been me.

May 23, 2014 11:46 AM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

No frost is not a problem here Jay.

May 23, 2014 03:56 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

It was quite the workout Lenn.

May 23, 2014 03:56 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

Then on to the next workout Debbie.  :)

May 23, 2014 03:56 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

I took photos... it may be a while before it happens again Roger.  lol

May 23, 2014 03:57 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

Many would not have done this one, there was a list of contractors who walked away Suzanne.

May 23, 2014 03:57 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

Being willing to do the work is key here Debbie.

May 23, 2014 03:57 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

It is a lot of work but it is fulfilling AJ.

May 23, 2014 03:57 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

Thanks Kathleen. I'm looking for a debris clean-up person, you sound qualified.  lol

May 23, 2014 03:58 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

Tony & Darcy - Well today was a bit dirty cutting out dry rot overhead all day, not for the average contractor.

May 23, 2014 03:58 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

I recently lost quite a few pounds Bob, it made this a much easier job to get around under the pipes. The 9" piers barely fit, and so did I.  :)

May 23, 2014 03:58 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Ugh - crawling under isn't much fun! I used to have to crawl under our old house to thaw the water pipes in winter - and it most definitely wasn't my favorite job.

May 23, 2014 03:59 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

Sounds like you have had the same sort of experience Marte, welcome to the club!  :)

May 24, 2014 02:54 PM
Robert Butler
Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Thanks to you we have a whole new perspective on getting 'down and dirty'!

May 25, 2014 04:56 AM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Hi Tom,

This why I voted you the most amazing contractor likely to be the next AR ambassador. Great job as usual!

May 25, 2014 11:47 AM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

It is all a matter of perspective isn't it Robert? 

May 25, 2014 11:10 PM
Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366
Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA
General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

Sarah & Lester - I had to jump over to see what you were talking about, thank you for your vote of confidence. I wonder if they would allow me to be an Ambassador...

May 25, 2014 11:12 PM