I need advice on difficult flooring

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marcumjr
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Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:14 pm

My water heater leaked for sometime apparently( water damage in the h20 heater closet which was in between 2 bedrooms that also has damage on the outer walls), recently found the problem, fixed the leak and began drying it out, there was/is mold so we took off the drywall and got rid of it. We received the insurance money and can't find anyone to come in and replace the sections of flooring because the floors go under the outer wall framing and inner wall framin. HOW can I get the floor out from under there so I can have the mold remediation (ServPro) come in and clean the mold/wood framing, so I can replace the flooring (and how do I get new flooring back in under there). Please help, everyone I have called for estimates doesn't get back with me after they have come to estimate, I know that if we knew the basics, we (hubby and I) could just do it ourselves and just get it done, I am tired of waiting. I did buy the online E-book by Mark Bower but either I missed it or it doesn't say how to safely get it out from under the framing.
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Hi & welcome. Replacing floors under walls I about the toughest job you will have in a Mobile. It is a time consuming job, but not impossible to do. A sawsall and sharp chisels are about the best tools for the job. You need to cut as much out as possible, the sawsall will allow you to cut through nails & screws and use the chisel to clean out the smaller chunks. You can sister a joist along rim joist to attach the new floor to.

If mold is involved use a dust mask when working around it. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Groo
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue May 11, 2010 5:52 am

I started doing this on the MH I have pretty much given up on. I just kept finding more mold the deeper I dug.

What I started doing was to put up a temporary wall, forcing the ceiling up a hair. I was then planning replace the outer wall, or at least the footer. I had already started replacing the floor under the wall, going about a foot into the trailer. 2x lumber was the same height as the particle board and the stringers. I just set a circular saw to just above the floor joists and cut out a spot the size of the board I had.

I was installing pressure treated 2x8s (plus an extra 2x4 I had sitting around for were the water damage went inboard a little more) to make sure I did not have a repeat of the rot and subsequent wall sag.

unfortunately, like I said, the further I dug, the more rot, mold and rodent mess I uncovered. That trailer is just storing the building materials and furnature untill I scrap it. I found a traditional house that is larger and will cost me less than the free trailer was going to.
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Brenda (OH)
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Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:57 am

I am having trouble picturing the problem.... if the floor went under the wall in the past, why can't you cut the old flooring off flush to the wall, and out to the edgeo of the first joist into the room

you then put a 2 x4 onto the joist and the wall rim joist and at to make a ledge to hold the new flooring. I add pieces to where the ends of the board so it is like a square of 2 x4 inside the hole. if it is a long piece, I sometimes add an extra piece of 2 X4 across between the joists, and I mark with chalk on the wall where they are.

I put the new 3/4 flooring into the hole, and put deck quality screws (maybe 1 1/2 ones) through the plywood into the 2 x4.

what I am not getting is why the old flooring under the wall is an issue? is it that if you remove it and dont put something in the wall will sag? why couldn't you cut 1/2 inch wide strips of 3/4 plywood (or 3/4 inch wide strips of 1/2 plywood and tap them in under the wall and above the joist to stablize the wall? then do the framing withing the joist like usual? as always, i like JDs diagram of floor repairing a toilet flange as a starting point lol https://www.mobilehomerepair.com/phpbb/v ... php?t=3586&

Brenda (OH)
Groo
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue May 11, 2010 5:52 am

thats kind of what I was saying. the problem is you pretty much have to lift the wall to deal with the floor. using little wedges to lift the wall really limits the length of board you can put down. my temp wall solution will damamge some ceilings. then lets not forget about all the electrical and plumbing that my be involved. I can certainly see why most contractors would give that paticular job a pass.
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Brenda (OH)
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Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:57 am

ok,. this may sound horrible, but... if the wall sags the height of the flooring that was removed, how much damage occurs? I cleaned out the space between where the floor was, and was able to hammer the floor patch in place under the wall.... I wonder if you put and extra piece in the middle of the hole lengthwise, cut the patch in half lengthwise, lay it on the joist, tapped it under the wall, so that it was on on the rim or a sistered board, and then installed the other half of the lengthwise patch, if that would work? I would not want to recommend trying to hammer the whole patch under the wall, i managed it once, but I am known for having good luck when it comes to floor repairs lol.

Brenda
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

It will drop some, you do have the full weight of the wall on it. I just used pry bars to lift the wall slightly and slid the plywood under it.. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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Brenda (OH)
Posts: 325
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:57 am

cool Greg, the pry bar part of it was what i was missing out on in the thought process...

I do know it is easier to hammer in a wider piece if you work with a whole piece, the narrower the gap, the higher the angle the patch sits at, and the harder you have to hit the piece. I put a scrap piece in between the patch and the mallet. it sometimes helps to have someone stand on the patch so it does not jump up, but goes sideways (somehow, it directs the force of the blow more sideways)

aren't these simply constructed homes fun?

Brenda (OH)
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Greg
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Location: Weedsport, NY

There is a reason they call them Wonder bars!!!
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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