Camper life can be quite Zen. We have discovered that a family of nutria live in a burrow just outside, and now a favorite dusk-time activity is to watch them eating plant roots and jumping into the river for a swim while we listen to the owls hoot from above. Mealtimes are simple and perhaps not quite nutritionally balanced as we cobble them together from a very tiny pantry, fridge, and kitchen. And instead of mornings and evenings filled with rushing around to organize, clean, find things, tidy…well, there’s nothing. We read, talk, play cards, color, talk, read, and spot nutria. Of course, I have no idea if we’ll all feel so Zen here six months from now, but this short respite of happy nothingness in the middle of a sultry Florida summer has been a welcome surprise.
Pathetic really, how elated we were to see the first parallam beam in. The thick laminated wood beam runs horizontally from next to the front door out to behind the house where it will someday support the upper floors above the workshop and one side of the new deck extension.
It’s the only beam currently in place, a teaser, just Hygema showing us what they can do. Amazing to consider they’ll have to cut and manhandle every one of those beams piled in our yard, starting with the first floor, wrapping around the house, and moving upwards.
Our first expected unexpected. Even before work commenced, Baker Klein Engineering suspected we may need to reinforce the foundation, at least at one particular corner of the house where the sag was most noticeable. A core sample was taken from the area to check the soil and thickness but was inconclusive.
Our contractor has now dug up four corner areas and confirmed with Tamara, the engineer, that we need to pour additional foundation support at four spots, so the beam replacement has slowed almost to a stop while this work is completed and inspected. We’re going back down before we go up again.
I rubbed my eyes, I had to be imagining things outside my little camper window. Were there PEOPLE WORKING on our property? Monday Strickland Supplies put scaffolding up, three levels high on two sides. Lee & Cates, the glazing company, tried to remove one of the 20′x12′ panes of glass and couldn’t – the sound of a piece of glass that size shattering is something to hear. Other panes were safely removed.
Tuesday, the scaffolding surrounded the house and Hygema, the house movers/shoring company, had already jacked up the worst sagging corner of the house. Wednesday, all levels along the back of the house were supported by wood beams and steel jacks.
Our sexy renovation arbor
Thursday, for the first time, we could see the crisp, straight lines of each level of the house, returned to its original glory albeit still surrounded by scaffolding. Sounds silly, but we were utterly thrilled. One post that used to hold up a corner of the house now sits an easy two inches off of the ground. And here are some pictures.
Outside corner post of house now floating off the ground
My first “renovation” post on this blog. Ah, smells like progress.
