About two weeks ago I finally decided to make the move up to my little farmstead by the end of this year. I've been so wishy-washy and I've second guessed myself to the point that I couldn't think straight. No more putting it off. So, my Friend M and I drove up to determine what I needed to get done to actually live there, and not just 'camp'. My biggest hang-up was that I wanted to get the house leveled before I moved in. I don't have the funds for that right now and it's not likely that I'll have those funds in the next year or two. So I'm going to move into a crooked house.
The house actually sits on rocks/stones, no basement, and minimum crawlspace. The soil under the rocks has eroded, so the floor sags. The problem is the concrete slab porch along the front of the house. Rain runoff from the back of the property should flow straight under the house and out toward the front of the property, but the slab/porch blocks it and it pools under the house. It would cost about $600+ to have the concrete slab removed and since I don't have funds for that either, I'm going to put in a French drain about 10-15 feet behind the house to direct the water over to the side. I'm hoping I can get this done for around $100. This should keep the house from sagging any more than it already has.
After a much closer inspection I found that the house was built without 'stud walls'. The sheetrock on the inside is nailed directly to the 'boards' of the board and batten exterior siding. This type of construction is called 'single wall'. And there isn't anything under the wood flooring except the joists holding them up and then the ground. No subfloor. What really amazes me is that this skeleton of a house has stood for 90+ years! My plan is to put 5/8 inch plywood over the current floor. I may have to build up a little just inside the front door where the sag is the worst. Then I'm going to build stud walls, using 2x4 framing attached directly to the new floor and the inside sheetrock wall. I'll lose some floor space, but it'll make the house sturdier and with the insulation I'll put in, it should be much warmer in the winter. Basically I'm building a house inside a house.
I plan to do most of the labor myself, slowly over the next 4-5 months. My friend M, the electrician, has helped me do some work on the house already, and he'll help with this new work when he has time. I plan to take LOTS of photos to document what I'm doing so if I need to do any future repairs I'll know what's there.
I drove up to MGF yesterday and got photos of the attic, I'll add another post later this week explaining that situation, along with the photos. In the meantime, never give up, never surrender, and may all your dreams come true.
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