Straightening an out of plum timer house

[nt900]

I was having this conversation under a different topic, then thought I would ask the Forum for assistance with a problem I am having:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>


Cut from another topic thread: "Biggest problem I face with that place is a noticeable lean on one side. Not sure how to correct this. *** I should post this problem as another Forum Topic. ***<o:p></o:p>
I corrected a lean on our home by stripping door frames, windows, separating the frame from the chimneys, removing plasterboard, removing the lathes (original topic of this thread), archway, etc; then pushed the top of the building over to where it should be with an excavator. Then used ply board to brace it in place. Hence all the ply board on all the lateral walls. It was a lot of fun."<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Not the house I corrected, but another house I am working on has a severe lean on one side, and I am not sure how to correct it without enlisting the support of heavy machinery or gutting the place. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience straightening up a timber house?<o:p></o:p>

[capedcrusader]

Is it that one wall is out of plumb or that the whole house is "listing" because the stumps have sunk for whatever reason????

[nt900]

I should have mentioned that I have just restumped the place. It was also needing to be levelled and now is. I expect the walls have been forced to lean as the chimney dropped on one side, this in turn pulled one side of the house inward, and forced the other side outward, in the vicinity of the chimney area. Even though the floors are now levelled, and the chimney removed, the house will not breathe a sigh and move back into the original position and straight.<O:p</O:p

So to answer your question, I want to just straighten one side and part thereof, and leave the other, it is in acceptable condition. Without using heavy machinery, or without stripping the place bare.<O:p</O:p

Maybe the question I should be asking: does anyone have any suggestions for lessening the visual impact (especially on the outside) of a leaning building?<O:p</O:p

Rgds<O:p</O:p

[duckman]

I should have mentioned that I have just restumped the place. It was also needing to be levelled and now is. I expect the walls have been forced to lean as the chimney dropped on one side, this in turn pulled one side of the house inward, and forced the other side outward, in the vicinity of the chimney area. Even though the floors are now levelled, and the chimney removed, the house will not breathe a sigh and move back into the original position and straight.<O:p</O:p

So to answer your question, I want to just straighten one side and part thereof, and leave the other, it is in acceptable condition. Without using heavy machinery, or without stripping the place bare.<O:p</O:p

Maybe the question I should be asking: does anyone have any suggestions for lessening the visual impact (especially on the outside) of a leaning building?<O:p</O:p

Rgds<O:p</O:p

Some more info please. I had to do this once on a single fronted terrace house in East Malvern, Melbourne. Being a narrow house and having an iron roof made it relatively easy. We exposed the top plate of the wall that was leaning out, the bottom plate of the wall on the oppositte side of the house, connected the two with chains and a Tirfor winch from our 4WD's and then started winding the winch in. To our amazement, it worked like a charm.

A couple of new internal stud walls at the back of the existing house, which was the part that was leaning braced the back of the house quite nicely.

The extension we added to it, complemented the bracing of the internal stud walls.

HTH,

Mark.

[MarkV]

<O:p</O:p

Maybe the question I should be asking: does anyone have any suggestions for lessening the visual impact (especially on the outside) of a leaning building?<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p
Stand a bunch of Italians around it :D

[seriph1]

could always plant a couple of plumb trees

sorry - couldnt help myself

now back to work :)

[capedcrusader]

I had a similar problem with my place as a result of termite damage to the top plates. If your ceiling joists are running parallel to the offending wall then you could just use a couple of turn buckles and chain attached to improvised steel hooks fixed to the studs/top plate and the nearest ceiling joist ie: through the ceiling.(athough I have T&G lining on my ceilings which kept the joist straight not that there was much force required.)

[julianx]

you could always make the lean worse and call it a feature. I worked on a roof in noosa that was designed with a 450 mm sag in the ridge line to give the place an aged look .The house looked amazing when finished.