Rehab help

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY WOODEN FOUNDATIONS?? Do you mean they are on stilts/pilons like a house that is on the water? If your sure its sturdy you can pour a floor leveling mixture that find its own level.(forget what it called) Or you can take the floor up and run sister stringers against the originals but level them off on the low side. the 2nd is a lot of work,You may have to go under and jack it back up and pour footings and put new pilons to repair it. DEPENDS on what you want to do. I would personally do it the right way but you will have to make that decision on your own and according to what you can put into it.

I mean usually houses with a basement. Aren't the foundation above the basement considered wood? Atleast that's the way I was trained at Home Depot, not a professional but I ordered and quoted the installs for most houses. I suppose I used the term Wooden Foundation a lil too strong?? I don't think it's bad enough to need the 2nd option but I didn't know there was a leveling agent that you could put on top of wooden sub floor.

EDIT: I understand now what you mean by the foundation... scratch the use of that lol... I over thought it, I meant the flooring. Shoot me quickly, make it painless
I guess you CAN do it on wooden flooring... first time for me. You use a latex bonding agent and let it dry the use leveling agent??? Then what? After all is said and done Screw down the plywood?

Knowledge is Power
- Pimpedoutgeese

identify the problem, jacking it up with some basement posts is a good idea pretty much the solution to the problem. thats what aim going to do with a house aim working on. depending on the problem ? using the level agent is just covering it up,

Hi,

I'm a builder and can give you the info you need on fixing the floor.

First - the product is called levelastic. Secondly, if your talking slightly un-even floor that product will work. You mix with water in a mixing tray and apply the product with a trowel to the area's feathering the edges the best you can.There are a number of masonry products avalible at masonry supply stores, or even the Home Depot.

Make sure the area is cleaned so you get a good bond. You can put this over the existing floor if its in good/decent shape. 1/4 inch smooth (lanue)plywood is appropriate for these areas - the whole floor.

Then you can level with the levelastic on new plywood on top of the old. If your sub-flooring is beat; that is a 3/4 plywood for replacment. A picture of the conditions would help significantly.

The reason is you may have a number of different methods and materials that can be used. These materials are very expensive and a picture could get you an expert analysis and would be cost effective.

If you can do that hit me up and I'll let you know the way to do it. Some situations such as high end or rental grade fix is night and day.

I hope you can do it with the first step I pointed out that's about the cheapest way while adding value to the property.

Thanks, i'm going to submit my offer and if he accepts I'll post a pic, how much off had would that run? Just a guesstimate. I believe the floor is about 15 x 11. Its the only spot in the house that has an uneven spot, which is right next to a doorway to the dining room.

WHAT A GOOD IDEA!!!

The next time I do due diligence, I'm going to take pictures... I didn't know I could. Yea yea laugh it up veterans...

Anyways thanks again for your input guys!!

Knowledge is Power
- Pimpedoutgeese

It’s the time of year to think about things left undone around the house.

Here’s one task you’ve likely overlooked: making your house pay off as much as possible on your 2010 tax return. If you act fast, you may even qualify for breaks on your 2009 return.

Thanks to provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka the stimulus package), you could get credit for thousands of dollars on your next tax return by investing in changes that make your home more energy-efficient. Combine that with the money you’ll save on your energy bill, and there’s little reason not to get started now “greening up” your home.

Here are the new or bolstered programs and what they offer:

The $1,500 credit
When you install any of several categories of products that increase the efficiency of your home, you can be eligible for tax credits of 30% of the cost, up to $1,500.

The 30% rule means that if you spent $5,000 on windows, you’d get a tax credit for $1,500. (Read more about how the tax credits work here.) Homeowners can take advantage of the credit until Dec. 31, 2010 — but any changes put in place by year’s end can be included on your 2009 tax return.

“There are several upgrades that qualify. One is windows and doors; insulation and HVAC (heating and cooling systems); roofing; certain water heaters; and then there are biomass stoves,” says Valerie Shelton, president of Green Power Living, a Fort Washington, Md., company that performs home energy audits and green home makeovers.

This tax credit replaces a federal $500 tax credit that had been in place for some years but that had confusing “sublimits,” such as a $200 cap on credits for windows, Shelton says.

Did you already take advantage of the $500 credit? It’s your lucky day. The slate is wiped clean. You can participate fully in the new program.
How much stimulus is going to green projects?
View more MSN videosGo to MSNBC

Now, for the fine print
Every deal has its fine print, and this one does, too: Only certain kinds of purchases count. (Sorry, that cool new thermostat can’t get written off.) More confusingly, just because a product in an approved category bears the federal government’s Energy Star label (a designation of energy efficiency) doesn’t mean it counts toward the tax credit. Here are the restrictions:

* Windows: Those bought after June 1 must have a “U-factor” less than or equal to 0.30 and a solar heat-gain coefficient (SHGC) of less than or equal to 0.30. “A low U-factor indicates good insulating value … whereas a low SHGC indicates less solar heat gain, which is particularly important in climates with high cooling demand,” according to the Efficient Windows Collaborative.
* Water heater replacement: Not all Energy Star water heaters make the tax-credit cut, says Karen Schneider, Web site manager for Energy Star. Electric storage-tank water heaters and electric tankless water heaters don’t qualify, for instance. Go here for more info. (A tip: Don’t trust a salesman to know whether something qualifies for the tax credit or not.)
* Roofing: All Energy Star metal and reflective asphalt shingles qualify. Check out info on Energy Star-qualified roofing here.
* Insulation: Most new insulation is covered; vapor retarders are, too. But insulated siding and cladding don’t count toward the tax break, Schneider says.
* Biomass stoves: Qualifying stoves must have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured using a lower heating value.

These savings are on top of any utility-bill savings you’ll realize from having tighter doors, windows and the like. Wonder how much you’d save? Check out the Department of Energy’s calculations.