As we begin this Labor Day weekend it seems appropriate to document our "labor day" at the cabin; The job was leveling the ground floor.
The job started with obtaining some clear tubing with which to create a water level. The hearth was used as datum - the fixed point to which all other points were to be compared.
To begin -- the two ends of the water level were set next to each other to verify they were reading level. (Water always seeks it's own level. Like filling one end of a bathtub - the water height is the same at the other end and the water is level/horizontal.)
One end of the tubing was then taken to each corner and intermediate bearing point of the entire perimeter of the structure. The difference in measurement of the height of the water in the tube compared to the other end of the tube, at the hearth - the datum - was how much that point was lower than the datum. This measurement indicated how much that point needed to be raised.
Using handy bottle jacks, the girder beams under the cabin were raised off the piers and pressure treated shims were inserted. The amount of shim was based on the water level readings.
Ah... the laborers enjoy the fruits of their labor.
The job started with obtaining some clear tubing with which to create a water level. The hearth was used as datum - the fixed point to which all other points were to be compared.
To begin -- the two ends of the water level were set next to each other to verify they were reading level. (Water always seeks it's own level. Like filling one end of a bathtub - the water height is the same at the other end and the water is level/horizontal.)
One end of the tubing was then taken to each corner and intermediate bearing point of the entire perimeter of the structure. The difference in measurement of the height of the water in the tube compared to the other end of the tube, at the hearth - the datum - was how much that point was lower than the datum. This measurement indicated how much that point needed to be raised.
Using handy bottle jacks, the girder beams under the cabin were raised off the piers and pressure treated shims were inserted. The amount of shim was based on the water level readings.
Ah... the laborers enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Never a dull moment at the cabin. It sure looks like hard work. Glad you are keeping the cabin in great shape so we can have it forever.
ReplyDelete