January 2, 2022 AsktheBuilder Announcement

Posted on by Tim Carter

Special Announcement - Last Call

This is REALLY FAST. If you subscribed after 4 AM this past Sunday, this is not going to make sense. Hang in there with me.

This message to you is what I call at the Ask the Builder world headquarters a Shot-Across-the-Bow email alert.

This coming Sunday, January 16, 2022, at 6:01 PM Eastern Time the low price of $29.99 for my entire Digital Library is going to disappear forever.

CLICK or TAP HERE and you'll see something unusual. SCROLL DOWN to see the huge list of topics in my digital library.

You'll see FIVE different prices for the same product! The prices range from $29.99 up to $149.99.

As crazy as this sounds, I allow you to decide what to pay. Your clicking one of the radio buttons tells me what YOU think my stuff is worth to you.

Here's what's in store moving forward beyond this Sunday.

On Sunday January 23rd, the $49.99 price will vaporize.

On Sunday January 30th, the $99.99 price will vaporize.

And so on and so forth until the price stays at $149.99 or I RAISE the price.

It's important to realize the retail price of the entire digital library, should you buy each one right now separately in the shopping cart, would be about $1,450.00.

So even at $149.99 it's a tremendous bargain.

BOTTOM LINE: If you feel my entire library is only worth $29.99 to you, you better act on it in the next five days.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to get it before I never let you have it again for that price.

I'm serious. You'll never ever again see it for that price. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Peace out. (in my best Kip voice)

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

P.S. I will send out two LAST CALL reminders on Sunday in case you're a chronic procrastinator. But under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will I honor the current $29.99 price after 6:01 PM this coming Sunday. Peace out a second time. 🙂

January 9, 2022 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Issue #1164 (I think)

You could be one of the hundreds of new subscribers in the past seven days. If I was a betting man, or had access to my newsletter subscription software :-> , I'd say you probably hail from Chicagoland and read my column each week in the Chicago Tribune.

Chicago is my favorite big city. I used to love walking up and down Michigan Avenue marveling at the stunning architecture and size of the older buildings. Welcome and get ready for some powerhouse newsletters in the near future!

One thing I'm working on right now is the announcement I just saw about GAF's new solar panel roof shingles. In fact, I'm devoting my LIVE video stream tomorrow (01-10-2022) to this very topic. I now LIVE stream each M-F at 4 PM Eastern Time on my YouTube channel.

On Monday, I'm going to share during the LIVE stream a laundry list of questions I'm putting forth to GAF. You need to know these because they're the same questions you should be asking your roofer!!!! BTW, you don't need a YouTube account to watch my LIVE stream each day.

Assuming you're not a new subscriber, you might be one that's been with me since 1996 and still have deep in your email records issue #1. Good for you, because I don't have it!

Forest for the Trees

I'm sure you've heard that old idiom, "You can't see the forest for the trees."

Boy, that sure describes me! I was so focused putting together your gifts over the past weeks, investing countless hours with my nose inches from the grindstone, that I didn't look up and out into the forest.

In last week's issue, #1163 (I think...), I shared how you could get for free all of the following:

  • My Roofing Ripoff expose' eBook where I reveal how you can make shingles LAST for 40 or 50 years!
  • My Linear French Drain 90-minute streaming video - No more WET BASEMENTS, crawlspaces, or soggy yards!
  • My Bath Remodeling Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide
  • My Water Heater Replacement Checklist and Plumber Hiring Guide
  • My Concrete Sidewalk, Driveway, Patio Specifications, and Drawing
  • My Kitchen Remodeling Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide
  • My Chimney Crown Repair Specifications - 99.99% of masons do it WRONG!!!
  • My Roofing Replacement Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide - An amazing 3-page PDF file

While you might be one that did take advantage and downloaded all the free goodies, an astonishing number just shrugged their shoulders and went about their daily business. There are probably twenty, or more, valid reasons for not picking up your gifts.

One of them could have been the timing. You may have been exhausted from the Christmas mayhem. I get it. It's a tough time of year.

Here's your second chance to get over $110.00 of my digital files that you see above at no cost.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get your gifts. But don't shrug it off this time.

When you click that link, you're going to discover a second gift for you. A gift worth well over $1,000.00. That's not a typo.

Ed reached out to me last Tuesday asking me if was a trick. He was hesitant to CLICK the link saying:

"Your offer is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I'm afraid your stuff is filled with malware, spyware, and other bad jujumagumbo."

No, Ed, there's no bad stuff in my products. It's SAFE to download everything.

What's the second gift? You can now, for a very short time, get my ENTIRE digital library of over 112 products for as low as $29.99 if you're on a very tight FIXED INCOME. CLICK or TAP HERE to see how.

Trust me, this opportunity is going to disappear.

Modulating Boilers - True Savings

Two years ago, I installed an amazing Noritz modulating boiler in my daughter's new home. Understand this boiler not only heats her home, but it also is a tankless water heater. She and her family can take a hot shower for as long as there's water in the well and propane feeding the boiler.

What's more, the boiler is about the size of a piece of luggage you might check on an airplane. Much smaller than conventional boilers. Here it is:

noritz combi boiler

Modulating boilers are wonderful for many reasons. That said, my favorite one is:

The burner only produces enough flame to satisfy the DEMAND at that moment. In other words, it works like a typical burner on your stove. You can set that burner on your stove to HIGH or all the way down to simmer.

When a modulating boiler is running with a LOW flame to satisfy just one zone requiring heat, even thought it's a high-efficiency appliance, far less fuel is going up the chimney.

It's important to realize these boilers are not that expensive. I just priced the one I put in my daughter's home days ago. You can buy it now for $2,600 and change online at supplyhouse.com.

Go get one or two before inflation raises the price to $3,000.00. CLICK or TAP HERE to see more photos and to read my story about how EASY it is to install a modulating boiler the size of a piece of checked luggage.

Relaxing Maine Wildlife Video

Things were so busy during Christmas I believe I failed to share a wonderful video created by Paul Cyr who lives in Presque Isle, Maine. His brother is a subscriber to this newsletter.
amish children ice skating
CLICK or TAP HERE and get ready to smile. If this is a repeat mention, it's worth watching a second time.

Install a NEW Concrete Foundation

Is your house's foundation falling apart? You can have a new foundation installed as is being done in the photo below. Look at this:

house up in the air

CLICK or TAP HERE to see other stunning photographs of just how the house is supported and HOW IT'S ACCOMPLISHED.

That's quite enough for a Sunday in cold January. Well, not cold for my fellow parishioners Paul and Rita. They're on the beach in Aruba!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
Ham Radio Tales - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. You'd do well to get your FREE copy of my Roofing Ripoff book. Look:

roofing ripoff cover

CLICK or TAP HERE to get it NOW.

This FREE offer is GOING TO EXPIRE for goodness sake!!!

Free Ask the Builder Gifts – Part 2 of 2

Posted on by Tim Carter
New house construction

Building new or remodeling is complex. My checklists relieve anxiety. Each one can save you thousands of dollars. You're about to get a bunch of FREE ones from me. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

This is part two of a two-part column series. In last week’s column, I shared how a huge tsunami inflation wave is cresting and about to wash over you. You can’t afford to waste a penny on home improvement projects. I decided to gift you some helpful products that ensure you preserve as much of your money as possible.

About eighteen years ago, my future son-in-law was in my office. He and I were going through the many incoming email questions I receive each day. You need to understand I had yet to fully grasp his level of intelligence. After about fifteen minutes he said, “Mr. Carter, you’re in the life-preserver business. Each one of the people emailing you is asking for help about a job gone wrong.”

His description of what I do each day, flinging flat doughnut-shaped flotation devices to people flailing in the frigid waters of failure, was spot on. I knew this from years of building and remodeling as I was often called in to fix something another builder goofed up or sometimes asked to finish a project started by a wet-behind-the-ears overly enthusiastic DIYr.

That’s why early in my Ask the Builder career I decided to create helpful digital PDF checklists, videos, and eBooks to empower you to do one or two things:

  1. Use them to easily understand at least one way to do the job right so you can spot the pro contractor.
  2. Glean information that would allow you to do simple repairs yourself.

In both instances, the end result is that the job would be done right, not over. That Do It Right, Not Over! has become the motto that I place at the bottom of my newsletter each week.

Over the years, I’ve created over 100 of these helpful checklists, videos, and eBooks. My most popular one is my Roofing Ripoff expose’ book where I uncovered why your asphalt shingles don’t last as they used to and what you can do to make sure your new or newer roof lasts for 40 or 50 years. Think of that - the last roof of your life and maybe that of the next owner of your home!

In a few moments, you’re going to have in your possession a free PDF copy of this eBook. I’m also giving you the following at no cost:

  • My Linear French Drain 90-minute streaming video - No more WET BASEMENTS, crawlspaces, or soggy yards!
  • My Bath Remodeling Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide
  • My Water Heater Replacement Checklist and Plumber Hiring Guide
  • My Concrete Sidewalk, Driveway, Patio Specifications, and Drawing
  • My Kitchen Remodeling Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide
  • My Chimney Crown Repair Specifications - 99.99% of masons do it WRONG!!!
  • My Roofing Replacement Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide - An amazing 3-page PDF file

All of the above products can save you thousands of dollars, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. For example, if you have water leaking into your basement or crawlspace, you might get bids for many thousands of dollars to stop the leaks. What if I told you in most cases it can be done for just hundreds of dollars and if you’re a DIYr, you can do it yourself.

How many nightmares have you heard from friends or neighbors about poor-quality roofing work? How would you like to find out quickly who the best roofer is in your city or town? My Roofing Replacement Checklist helps you spot the pro. The same is true for all the checklists I have.

Just about every homeowner has concrete outside in a sidewalk, driveway, or patio. Did you know in many cases the contractor installs it wrong? The Concrete Specifications you’re about to receive will ensure your new concrete lasts for generations.

Bath and kitchen remodeling is expensive. My checklists will help prevent nothing is overlooked as you plan. They also help you discover the best contractor. Would you think to stuff insulation around all the void space surrounding your new tub so the bathwater stays hot as you soak? Those are the kind of tips you discover in my checklists.

It’s time for you to get all of the above at no cost. Go to the following AsktheBuilder page - and follow the simple instructions. Feel free to share the page with all you know, especially on your social media channels. Let’s help as many as possible save big money in 2022.

Free Digital Files Giveaway

Column 1437

January 2, 2022 AsktheBuilder Very Special Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

If you're a new subscriber, what a first issue to receive! In the 25+ years I've published this newsletter, I've NEVER done one like this.

PLEASE READ it closely. If you've subscribed after December 12, 2021, you should really read that past issue first.

The inflation I talked about three weeks ago is worse. Much worse. You just need a fifth-grade math education to know this to be true.

When you see double and triple-digit price increases in many of the things you buy each week or month, how is it that the experts in an Associated Press story say the annual rate was just around 6%?

Anyone who's been in the Navy knows that's a smoke screen or those compiling the numbers have been getting herb'd up smoking something.

The inflation tsunami that's about to wash over you is what prompted me to do something I've never ever done before.

The Ask the Builder Egg Prize

Remember days ago when I shared the photo of the stunning Faberge' egg? The outer shell of each of the eggs is one-of-a-kind and more than special.

But I believe each one opens and INSIDE the egg there's an even better prize.

That was the inspiration for what I'm about to do.

You're about to receive at NO COST with no strings attached my top seven PDF digital files and free unlimited access to my one-of-a-kind 90-minute streaming video about how to save thousands of dollars if you have a wet basement, wet crawlspace, or soggy yard.

You may not need each present you're about to get right now, but believe me they'll come in handy one day soon.

Here's the outer shell of my egg prize:

  • My Roofing Ripoff expose' eBook where I reveal how you can make asphalt shingles LAST for 40 or 50 years!
  • My Linear French Drain 90-minute streaming video - No more WET BASEMENTS, crawlspaces, or soggy yards!
  • My Bath Remodeling Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide
  • My Water Heater Replacement Checklist and Plumber Hiring Guide
  • My Concrete Sidewalk, Driveway, Patio Specifications, and Drawing
  • My Kitchen Remodeling Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide
  • My Chimney Crown Repair Specifications - 99.99% of masons do it WRONG!!!
  • My Roofing Replacement Checklist and Contractor Hiring Guide - An amazing 3-page PDF file

But there's a much better SECOND gift for you inside the egg. It's in the same document you're about to download.

All I ask is that you CLOSELY READ the first page of what you're about to receive. What you'll see there is not a typo.

Some of my friends think I'm insane for doing what you're about to see. My friend Mike, however, said "...it's very very generous."

In reality, I just took a big swig of Abundance Juice.

CLICK or TAP HERE for your belated Christmas gift from Kathy and me. We hope you like it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If the file doesn't download right away, RELAX. My server could be overloaded with thousands of simultaneous requests. Go do something else, come back in 15 minutes, and try again. Thanks for your patience.

Happy New Year, by the way. It's our hope that our gift to you will help make it an excellent one. We hope that you'll be able to save thousands, and maybe tens of thousands, of dollars using our gifts.

Tim and Kathy Carter
www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

FREE AsktheBuilder Gifts – Part 1 of 2

Posted on by Tim Carter
House Under Construction

FREE Gifts from Ask the Builder: I can spot at least two errors in this photo. How about you? What will it cost to repair the defects five years from now when they crop up and the builder's warranty is no longer in effect? Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

Author's Note: This is part one of a two-part column series. It’s quite possible these two columns will have a more positive impact on your life than the sum total of the 1,435 columns I’ve written in the past twenty-eight years. Part 2 is now posted on this website as of January 3, 2022 Here is the link for Part 2 of 2.

Surely you’ve been paying attention to the prices of just about everything you buy. They’re up, way up. The price increases of many of the things I buy are up easily double digits, some triple digits. If you happen to follow some building material prices, then you know that lumber pricing is still up about 150% over it’s normal price that hovered around $400 per thousand board feet for quite some time.

At 5:00 AM one morning about three weeks before the run-up to Christmas, I was laying in bed wide awake looking out the glass door next to my bed. I was worried about a large laundry list of things, including the deeply troubling economic news about inflation.

While gazing out into the inky blackness, I thought, “I'm sure many others, including those who read my weekly column, are feeling similar pressure and stress - especially around Christmas. What in the world can I do to help?”

While curled up under the warm covers, I reflected on the many email requests for help that flow through the Ask Tim page on my website. I’ve noticed an increasing trend of those who mention right away they’re on a fixed income. It’s too late in the game for them to start over making more money each week.

Another slew of emails have a common theme of fear and frustration. You may fit into this group wondering about if the work you’re about to have done on your home will be done right. Will your money get wasted if you discover flaws months after the contractor has cashed your check?

I then thought about a young mom I talked to on the phone a few days earlier. She had invested in one of my phone-coaching calls. She’s tasked with building a new dormer on her house and can’t get contractors to even bid the work. This brave woman is going to build it herself with my help and that of many great videos and books that I shared with her. She’s going to succeed.

At that moment, I came up with a rough idea about what I could give you that might solve many of the above problems. There were details to work out, but I was sure I could make it happen.

Often I refine ideas in the shower. You may be like me. I think the warm water tickles my tiny gray cells stimulating them so ideas become reality. I decided to jump into the shower at that moment to see if I couldn’t figure out how to save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of dollars. My hope was to conjure up a plan that would empower you to make correct decisions about any project in and around your home and in certain instances, get you to actually use some tools yourself.

After exiting the shower, one of the last thoughts that was swirling in my head like the last bit of water spiraling around the shower drain was a short clip from the epic movie Field of Dreams. In this scene, the young Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella, had traveled back in time to have a face-to-face conversation with a small-town physician Dr. Archibald ‘Moonlight’ Graham.

Prior to his decades-long career as a medical doctor, Dr. Graham had a very brief on-field half-inning career as a major-league baseball player in the last game of the season. His lifetime batting average was .000, he had 0 at-bats, and 0 hits. At the end of that particular game, he retired from baseball to become a physician.

The young farmer in the movie asks Dr. Graham about not getting to bat in the major league and he responds, “It was like coming this close to your dreams and then watch them brush past you like a stranger in the crowd. At the time, you don’t think much of it. You know we just don’t recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they’re happening. Back then I thought, ‘Well, there’ll be other days.’ I didn’t realize that that was the only day.”

Unlike the young Archie Graham all those many years ago, I do recognize this is perhaps one of the most significant moments of my life and possibly yours. That’s why next week I’m going to give you, all your friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors, social-media followers, etc. at NO COST something that will save you vast amounts of money and relieve lots of the anxiety you might be feeling about all the things that need to be done around your home.

Be sure that you read my column next week. In the meantime, watch Dr. Graham in the short video clip just below.

Column 1436

Christmas Eve Morning 2021

Posted on by Tim Carter

Christmas Eve Morning 2021

I have a very personal Christmas tradition. I work each Christmas Eve until Noon. So did Scrooge and Bob Cratchit.

It's an odd tradition, but one I do cherish.

Years ago, I was the only one on the job site on Christmas Eve. It was so peaceful. The pace was slow. I enjoyed the solitude.

I remember Christmas Eve 1984. Don Cornett, a commercial architect I knew, stopped by the house I was building. He was on his way home from the office. Maybe he liked working on Christmas Eve too.

We chatted and he marveled at the unique house design created by one of his peers, Hans Nuetzel. I did lots of work for Hans.

So here I am just about ready to wrap things up for the day. I'm listening to one of my very favorite Christmas songs as I type this. CLICK or TAP HERE to listen too.

I Tried So Hard

Do you have any idea how hard it is to carve a few Matryoshka dolls? You may know them as Russian nesting dolls. The trick is to whittle away anything that's not one of the dolls.

Easier said than done.

My Christmas gift to you is just like them. That's why you got the clue two days ago about the Faberge' egg that had a second prize inside the stunning outer egg shell.

Unfortunately, I'm not finished carving. But as God is my witness, you'll have my gifts to you in nine days on January 2nd.

You'll have to brush off some New Year's confetti from the box and maybe move an empty champagne glass that's leaning against the box.

Merry Christmas to you!

I'll be back on January 2nd.

Here's our Christmas Tree for this year. Kathy outdid herself once more. It's a fresh-cut tree I keep watered using this method.
Christmas Tree 2021
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over! (including getting the star straight dummy!)

Maine Wildlife Christmas Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Maine Wildlife Christmas Video

Paul Cyr, a gifted photographer, captured all of the images you see in this short peaceful video.

These photos transformed into a video display much of what's good in our nation. Go to northern Maine if you want to experience much of what's best in life.

Amish children ice skating

Pre-Christmas 2021 Humor

Posted on by Tim Carter

I know, it's a Wednesday. Normally, you find me in your Inbox early on Sunday morning.

The needle on your stress meter might be pinning. What you're about to read can change that.

Today's goal is twofold:

  • make you smile, maybe even laugh out loud
  • let you shake the box of my Christmas gifts I'm giving you

Was it TA-DA or Not?

I was so fortunate to attend a Catholic grade and high school. Maybe you did too. Those of us who attended these schools in the 1950s through the early 1970s will tell you it was a character-building experience. A fantastic one.

Each of us has stories to tell about the nuns and priests. I've got countless ones.

About seven years ago, my youngest daughter asked me to write all of them down as well as all the other stories about me growing up. This project is ongoing and I'm about to finish Volume Two of her four-volume Adventures & Advice book set.

Most of the stories are private and the book is only being shared with family and a few very close friends.

That said, Donna reached out to me on Sunday morning because my quotation of Scripture at the bottom of the last newsletter (linked to the left) produced a humorous flashback for her. It's just below.

After reading Donna's true tale, I decided that I'd share one of my grade school stories with you.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read it. It's one of the upcoming chapters in Volume Two of my daughter's Adventures & Advice book.

Now for Donna's story. To get the full effect of Donna's hilarious anecdote, allow me to share one other Christmas Catholic grade-school conundrum.

Realize there was no sex education back when I was in school. You either got the awkward talk from your parents - I didn't - or you got bits and pieces from the older kids and what you could glean from glossy pictures in certain magazines.

One thing that really confused me was the Immaculate Conception feast day. What the heck was THAT all about?

Using a bunch of confusing words like womb, virgin, and "with child" the priests and nuns were trying to explain how in the world Mary got pregnant. Believe me, it's a lot to comprehend for an 8-year-old! I have to tell you it took me years to figure it out.

Go nine months down Mary's timeline and you get to Donna's moment in the classroom. Here it is:

I was in 3rd grade, and it was right before Christmas vacation. The parish priest would visit each classroom and give us the pep talk about being good, thanking our family for the gifts we receive at Christmas, go to Mass, don't fight with our brothers and sisters, etc. And then he asked us if we had any questions. So I, the PITA kid who ALWAYS had questions, asked "When Jesus was born, was it like when we were born, or was it like "TA-DA" and he was in the manger?"

Father looked like he swallowed a fish - whole - and said he needed to consult with Sister. They both turned their backs on us, and there was a lot of shoulder shaking and eye wiping. Father turned back to the class and solemnly announced "There was no TA-DA!" and left very quickly.

When I got home that day, my mother wanted to kill me. Wonder why?

Thanks, Donna for sharing that. It made me laugh out loud!

Shake Time

Did you used to do what I did? My Mom and Dad would put presents under our Christmas tree days before they were to be opened. Looking back, I think it was a form of torture.

I'd often shake the wrapped boxes and sometimes I'd even carefully try to peek under the seam of the overlapping paper for a clue. When Mom saw that, she started fully taping the seams. Drat!

Now it's your turn. Here's a clue about what I've got in store for you days from now:
Fancy Egg with Building Inside
I hope you have a very very Merry Christmas.

It's going to be a white one here as we got lots of snow days ago and more is on the way.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Install A New Concrete Foundation

Posted on by Tim Carter
Installing New Concrete Foundation

Install a New Concrete Foundation | This house was temporarily lifted up about 8 feet in the air allowing a new concrete foundation to be poured. A new dry crawlspace is in the owner’s future. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

Install a New Concrete Foundation - Going Up!

Recently my daughter purchased an old camp summer house on a lake. The house is about eighty years old and was built on crude cinder blocks that just rested on stony soil. Frost heave over the years has caused the doors and windows to not fit well. Otherwise, the house, because it was built using old-growth timber, is in remarkable shape.

She wondered, “Dad, can a house like this be salvaged? Can a new poured concrete foundation be poured under it? Can a full basement be put under the house? Will the doors and windows work well again? How’s that accomplished?” These are all great questions and the answers vary depending on where the house is located and what lies just inches below the soil.

New Concrete Foundation in Meredith, NH

Just months before she made this new real estate investment, I saw in my own town in central New Hampshire an owner do the same thing. Based on what I witnessed, the house was about the same age as my daughter’s. It’s possible the house in my town was well over 100 years old based on its location and proximity to the town center and railroad tracks. The style and frame construction of the two houses were almost identical.

If you’ve never seen a house moved before, you might think it’s impossible to install a new concrete foundation under an existing house. Not only is it possible, but it’s probably more common than you might think. This process happens out of sight and often on back roads that you might not travel.

New Concrete Foundation in Sanbornton, NH

Two years ago, another house near me got a new concrete foundation. The house movers had to dig pits in the existing crawlspace to place their cribbing. You can tell they did this looking just to the left and down of the white window to the left of the red front door in the photo below. It's not easy to see because it's in the shadows but you can see the old concrete slab the water heaters used to sit on. Look at how the slab is 4 feet in the air now. It's amazing what house movers can do.

house on cribbing

This house on Lower Bay Road in Sanbornton, NH looks to be in bad shape, but it's now got a new lease on life. With that metal roof and its soon-to-be new foundation, it can last another 100 years.

Who Installs a New Concrete Foundation on an Existing Home?

The companies that specialize in constructing a new foundation under an existing house are house movers. The process of lifting a house up to move it is the first step in building a new foundation. If the house is not moving off the lot, it’s just a matter of lifting it up high enough so the foundation crew can work comfortably and safely. This often means the house might be lifted 6, 8, or 10 feet in the air.

Do You Need Cribbing?

Yes, you need cribbing to support the house. Each moving company might tackle the job differently. The first step I’ve witnessed is the placement of four or more, concrete footing pads under the house where cribbing will be placed. Cribbing is comprised of giant square 6x6 pieces of oak timbers typically about 42 inches long. Two pieces are placed parallel with one another on the smooth and level concrete and then two more pieces are placed at a 90-degree angle on top of the ends of the first two. This process is repeated until the house is lifted to the desired height.

cribbing lifting building

This is an excellent photo of the cribbing used to support a house while the new concrete foundation is being constructed. Note the steel I-beams that support the house and then rest on the cribbing. The giant jacks are hidden inside the cribbing.

The top of these concrete footings is normally placed at the future top of the concrete slab that will be poured in the new crawlspace or basement. It’s critical these footings are at the same height and perfectly level. This makes it easy to place the cribbing with a minimum of shimming.

How Many I-beams are Required?

Two, or more, steel I-beams are then slid under the house and centered on the cribbing. Giant house-lifting jacks are placed inside the cribbing. The jack pistons are centered under the I-beams. The professionals start to lift the house making sure to keep it as level as possible. As it goes up in the air, more cribbing is stacked to support the house.

Once the house is high enough in the air, the foundation crews start to work. If the soil is deep enough, they can dig it out using small machinery that can get under the house. Skilled operators are required so they don’t touch the cribbing.

Will Bedrock Limit the Crawlspace Height?

If bedrock is close to the surface, it may not be possible to place a tall crawlspace or full basement under the house. The house movers in the area almost always know the soil conditions and can manage this expectation before they start to work. You can also dig test pits around the outside of the house to determine the depth of bedrock prior to the house movers showing up.

It doesn’t matter if the house was built square as the foundation crews use plumb bobs and other tools to ensure the new foundation will match the exact shape of the outer walls of the house that’s suspended above them.

How are the I-beams Removed?

The foundation crews have to install U-shaped notches at the top of at least one wall of the new foundation. These notches are aligned with the steel I-beams that the house floor joists are resting on. Once the new foundation is complete and the house can be lowered onto the new poured concrete foundation, the I-beams need to be pulled out from under the house through these notches.

The notches can then be filled in with concrete blocks or new windows might be placed in these locations. Discuss your options with the house-moving company.

Don’t forget to install excellent foundation waterproofing and drain tile on the outside of the new foundation. It’s also wise to consider radon collection piping. This needs to be placed under the new slab below the house. Consult one, or more, of the radon maps that can be found with ease on the Internet to see if radon is an issue in your area.

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Foundation Choices Are Many

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