Tackling the living room structure

This is Mike posting.

Now that the crawlspace is dug out to 24-28 inches, it is actually a pleasure to work down there. The encapsulation is scheduled for the 22nd of November, so I don't have much time to finish the structural work before they come back. My main focus right now is stiffening and levelling the living room floor. The floor joists are older 2x6s (actually 2 in by 5 3/4 in), 24 in on center, and in one area spanning almost 11 feet ...... too small by today's standards. My intent is to cut this span in half, literally, by cutting a gap in the joists wide enough to accept a girder made up from 3 - 2x8s laminated together. One one end the girder will be attached to a new column installed by the crawspace contractor, and at the other end it will rest on top of the steel i-beam that runs roughly down the middle, front to back, of the original cottage.

I spent a number of hours on Friday screwing down the plank subflooring to the floor joists to help matters for that short period of time when the joists are cut. I got as far as I can get towards the fireplace. Now the L-shaped base cabinets flanking the fireplace are in the way. They need to come out, or at least the 300+ lb aquarium needs to be relocated to take as much load off the floor as possible. Tracey told me the other day that she has no attachment to them. The frames were built out of construction lumber and they were covered with tongue and groove boards. The best part?......... They were built on top of carpet! The level of laziness and short cuts taken in this place never ceases to amaze me.

Anyways, removing them will make the living room feel larger, allow me to properly stiffen and level the entire living room floor, and what's more I think we've solved where to put the tree at Christmas .

Saturday I picked up the material to build the girder, and finished the rebuild of the sill plate and rim joint at the front of the house..... all built out of pressure treated wood this time. I'll reinstall the siding when the windows and door at the front of the house are replaced or when I decide that the weather has degraded to the point where the windows and doors will have to be installed next year.

Today being my 45th birthday, I took it easy....... installed new drawer pulls on the upstairs bathroom cabinet following Tracey's painting job, and moved the aquarium off of one of living room base cabinets scheduled for removal up to Ran and Maia's bedroom. That took hours; emptying most of the water to allow Tracey and I to carry it upstairs, refilling and reconnecting everything. Finally done. By the way I solved the mystery of what happened to the missing goldfish. Gabriella wasn't eaten by her tank mates. She managed to find her way into the skull at the bottom of the tank, and passed away there. She's in the Kincardine Sewage Treatment Plant now.

I'm tired. I need to go back to work for a rest. Tomorrow it's back to work for a week of days. No lottery win yet.