I'm a 90's child working in the electronics industry and have started saying inches when measuring things by eye because those damn yanks still measure half of everything in inches 😂
I served my apprenticeship with some old boys who’d mix and match. Here, lad! Cut that baton at 3 foot 4 and a half cm would you. Really improved my mental arithmetic!
@Des Paterson. I joined the printing industry in the early 1970's when the DIN "A" paper sizes were being introduced. Some bright spark tried to align the Metric paper sizes to old Imperial paper and finished book sizes. e.g. Metric Crown Octavo. It would take quite a lengthy paragraph to explain what this term actually meant, so I wouldn't dream of trying! The little wrinkle I did learn using Imperial was that half of an odd number of fractions of an Inch was the same odd number of the sub-division e.g. half of 5/8ths is 5/16ths. But there are benefits as to be able to use both systems. Stay safe and well.
@@clivewilliams1406 that fact that the standard used to maintain the inch in the USA is a metric standard, means that even if the average American resists metric, without it an inch would vary from place to place or be an inexact measurement.
I typically cut the bottom of the frame and drop it down to bring it square (if I can’t remove frame, and renew with thinner lining) . Good stuff as always Andy .
This is really interesting. I've never dealt with any type of structure than timber frame. This is a whole other world. Please show more like this, really different. Thanks.
My house is built similarly, I was really shocked when I saw upstairs block walls resting on timber joists but apparently it's just how it was done in those days. I've got on doorway drooping where its above the middle of the lounge ceiling. Didn't notice it until plastering was all done and I came to do architraves
@@TomTomTomTom538 Jeez. Every time I've encountered plaster walls I hire a subcontractor to take care of it. It's usually only on historic buildings as far as my experience goes. Now I'm wondering if I've just been avoiding this type of construction just from doing that.
I love your term "nugget" for the "consummate professional" who installed the plumbing. You're too polite to call him an idiot. Australians have an even better two-syllable term that's too rude to post here. It's bad enough when DIY projects are done poorly, but when alleged professionals perform these blunders it gives the building industry a black eye.
Good god those nails! Every bit of architrave, skirting, trim, whatever has been held with those things in my house! Except the squeaky upstairs floor which seems to have been fixed down by thoughts and prayers alone.
Andy I almost thought you were gonna bang out a paradiddle on that second door frame! Mr. Porter made a good point about framing out those wall sections. If they're not load bearing it's worth the work. Otherwise every time you look at those doors you'll think........ shoulda, coulda, woulda.
If you haven't got a car jack, I particularly liked the "Essential Craftsman 2x4 jack" video from a couple of years ago where he uses an ingenious couple of 2x4's as a lever to lift a gable end garage door jamb an inch or so after vehicle ripped out a bottom plate.
I came across an old boy chippie doing adjustments same as yourself but with sliding wedges that was quite a easy way than a car jack but its good to have options
It’s so interesting to hear the term Architrave. British, New Zealand, and Australian construction guys use that term…. We in Canada use the term casings and trim….
Right but if you go to any local lumber yard or building supply store and you use the term architrave you will get a blank stare and be told, “we don’t sell those here…. But we have this door casing, would that work?” I just really like how each region has their own vernacular for the same thing.
@@clivewilliams1406 I’m in the center of Canada with most of our terms dictated by the big box stores which come from the USA. I’m not disagreeing with the architectural terminology. We have to live here with the lowest common denominator and I’m sure there are too many letters in architrave for many to the south of Canada to pronounce, let alone read or spell. Oh crud, did I say that out loud again.😂
Fair plat to you. Big job especially with all the prep and painting still to do. Honestly I’d have ripped the whole thing out myself and put a new one in . Much less of a ball ache but fair play
It's been awhile since i did Carpentry but i would have been inclined to run a hacksaw blade between door frame and wall and cut the fixings off. It's probably nailed as many were in the old days. Move your frame up adding a packer under your door frame and refix with screws and plugs. This way you retain the original gap at the top of your door. I don't believe the door dropped because of movement in the floor, The door frame may not have been resting on the floor from day one and the weight of the door over time has pulled it down. Nail fixings in this type of block material is a very weak fixing and would never suppoert the weight of a door over time.
Is it possible to lift the one side of the frame from the bottom of the upright leg? You'd need some way of transferring the load from the jack to the underneath of the leg, maybe a squared S shaped bar.
We here across the pond call that a cob job. You treated the symptoms but not the problem. The problem being the support wall has collapsed and needs to be raised and resupported.
The second story wall area in video is supported by the first story wall which is acting like a pillar and that area on the first story area is sagging too. The area under the first story floor needs to be jacked (or raised) to its original position. This in kind would raise the second story floor back to its original positon and then the modifications to the door frames wouldn't be necessary. I had an RV and mobile home repair business for twenty years. The same principles of construction that apply to housing apply to rvs and mobile homes just on a different scale. What I can tell you is when the foundation (in the case of rvs and mobile homes, the frame) is off, doors and windows do not shut right. Setting the frame level, I never had a case where all the doors and windows didn't work properly. The fact that you did not set the frame of the house properly, sent my OCD into hyperdrive.
Wouldn't it be better to shim between the floor and the hinge side leg of the door frame? That would also help with your reveals around the door when you shut it.
@@GosforthHandyman I see...so the door frame acts somewhat like a structural part of the wall? Is that common in block walls over there, or is it mainly due to the house's age?
The frame is nailed to wooden wedges embedded in the cinder block. If you cut the nails it will loosen all the wedges and damage the wall. It's fine as one unit but mess to much and you might as well take the lot down. 👍
Hi fella, great videos. Can you do one about how you are going to tie the cracks together in the cinder block walls please? Have the same problem in my place so interested in seeing how you do it.
@@GosforthHandyman thats what i feared. I've found 4mm and 6mm stripwood in wicks and b&q that I'm going to use to hopefully bring the frame level with the walls again.
So you jacked up the frame head so the joint at the corner opened up. So if you remove the frame jamb on the hinge side, move it up and refix you won't need to do anything to the door. I think its the old block wall that the frame was attached to that dropped causing the frame to drop with it. If its non-structural just take the wall out and put a new stud frame up. Is that a concrete lintel above the door frame?
Andy - wasn’t the water cylinder in the bathroom in the corner adjacent to this door? I’d think that would be the root cause of this door frame being out of level, and the corresponding crack in the bedroom wall too.
Yup! Briefly mentioned in the vid. Almost certainly contributed to the problems. Not to mention the water tank in the loft bearing down on the same wall. 👍
Suggest you put in a tapered piece at the top to make it look level or a piece 10mm thick with appropriate varying thickness spacers. Once the architrave is on and it's all painted you won't see it and it will look perfect. (Don't ask me how I know this 😉)
i'm not sure if i missed something, do i have this right - so the one end of the joist is resting on the downstairs wall, and that is solid, at good height. the other end is resting on the (i dunno what is called, but the outside wall?), and that is also good. the joist is not supported along its length by anything else, and so the joist itself sagged through the middle? is that right?
I know you do not want to redo the wall as it will be a P.I.T.A. However, as the wall is not as stable as it should be would it not be worth the effort to replace the wall? If it was replaced with wood construction it would also reduce to load on the joist underneath it.
You didn't rearly mention what the floor was like at the bottom of the doors. Is the floor sloping as bad/you're happy with that/not playing marbles anyway?
I have a similar question about my own house. Some of the door frames are really out, but the architraves are mitred as if it was always that way. My theory: the apprentice did it. Also a 1920's house.
I hope that when the bathroom is reinstalled and the bedroom furniture is in place the weight doesn't cause the joists to move again. Really should have replaced those walls with studwork or install steels from below.
Maybe , but what is that wall sat on in the room below? Is there another wall, or just a joist? Now is the time to do the job properly. Would hate to see cracks developing in a few months time when the floors are loaded up again.
Sawzall to cut through all the frame fixings for me, then trim and refit the door/frame as necessary then refix. Far too easy to move a lintel with a jack
agree. but that's the difference between trade and DIY, mostly find this guy very watchable. This type of problem is very common upto and including property built until mid/late sixty's early seventies then soul plates introduced. How do I know that ? As an Apprentice hearing my boss arguing with building inspector or C.O.W about extra costs etc etc ..
Its one of those jobs that, whilst a lot of work.... is easier than you expect. I remember paying for a floor to be jacked up, when my handyman turned up with a crowbar and a few old broken slates, I was impressed. If only I had knows, I would have done it my self! (he charged fairly though, did a good job, and let me help(I am that kind of customer))
I allso do plastering. If I seen u do that I would laugh. 😊.. . See I know because I've been called back on some jobs.. Same problem. That your talking about
Out of interest why wouldn’t you use wedges under the side jam (after jacking up) to raise that back up to the wooden lintel? Wouldn’t this mean you might not have to rehang the door?
You'd need a lot more than a wedge with the horizontal fixings I'd think. He'd have had to basically cut the nails/screws into the block work using a reciprocal saw or something. That's probably how I would have thought to do it, but it may do more damage to the blockwork I suppose.
As Rico says, it would mean cutting all the fixings in to the wall and that would cause major damage. Plus re-fixing afterwards would be tricky as these cinder blocks are only thin. 👍
Looking back at your previous video you show that the wall has nothing below it, if it is only a thicker joist it will move and wreak your new plaster, trust me I know. I have 30 years experience as a carpenter and seen this before several times with house renovations. Clients don't want to spend the money to change the walls or turn the single joist into a flitch beam but do regret it afterwards when cracks appear.
@@pauljohn6709 probably 30+ years ago, but also bear in mind that's likely from the old water tanks (x2) and the huge notch out of the joist. No ceiling damage downstairs.
If they’re the same sort of blocks I’m imagining they are, I find screwing directly into them is best. I suppose masonry screws and a very narrow pilot hole would be the belt and braces approach.
As long as the block is intact I've found they take plugs fine - trouble is they're only thin. These are pretty dense though. I've seen more lightweight ones. 👍
I would agree. Wall between our bathroom and a bedroom was odd construction with studs infilled with bricks standing laid on their face rather than top/bottom. It has been a pain and I regret thirty years later not biting the bullet and tearing it out.
It's a lot of extra work (a lot more than 2 days) as electrics would need moved etc. plus it would wipe out 2 other door frames and walls in the process.
If I was keeping the original door I would have cut through the nails securing the leg and picked the whole leg up not just the head to maintain the door head gap...interesting idea tho.
oh, you should have a lot of patience to deal with such houses, and I'm sure majority of houses in UK are in the same or worse state (including mine build around 1927)... I think it might be cheaper and faster to demolish the house and build a new one.... In general I think that quility/price ratio in UK is among the worst in the world.
You're not wrong! Building a house from scratch typically takes around 9 months. A full reno like this can take much longer since there's so much to strip out and fix before you can even get started. 👍😁
You'd have thought a nice modern house built to nice modern standards would be sooo much better. I've lived in 1970s house where the bricks were 'frost shattering' below DPC, as the bricks weren't fired hard enough. The inspection chambers were built for foul and grey water, but no pipes joined them, all for show so the building inspector could be conned. I have seen a friends bungalow, none of the doors are parallel to their frames at the top, built in 1990s I think. I live in a 200 to 300 year old house built of stone and mortar, well the mortar has returned to dust, but the stones are there through habit. If it hasn't fallen apart over that time, it must be a good one. I've fixed the intervening 'nuggets' attempts at bringing it down so should be fine for another hundred years. My old house and my friends? I suppose they will be torn down and rebuilt in a few decades, just as some of the contemporary to mine have been. Modern regs are only as good as modern inspections. (The inspectors I've met are great, but over worked, how much duff work has been hidden from them? We are coming up to the Grenville Tragedy anniversary. It was the 2010s modernization and lack of maintenance that caused that. The 1970s building would be cold, but may not have killed so many.) Another thought provoking video, Andy.
@@GosforthHandyman the point being, of course that if you want an old house, you don't want a new one! Blindingly obvious, but the new build will have no character, no odd quirky bits, no history......!
@@andymccabe6712 well.. I would say that in UK with number of new builds and places where they built you barely have a choice. The best choice you usually have is either house with history of 70 years or 100+. I couldn't buy new house in the place where I was searching. Just because there are none.
@@GosforthHandyman You're doing permanent fixes for all the problems that a house-flipper would have covered up with flimsy finishes and a lick of paint. There's profit in a quick cosmetic job, but there's rewarding satisfaction in doing a job right.
Is I was u. I wouldn't do that. I know the problem I've had meny times before. I do house renovations. Take out the door frame. And strength with wood next to the door frame and joists frooring. And cement. It will sage back. If u don't
@@GosforthHandyman I think cavity walls are quite standard in all the post WW1 houses in the north. For what it's worth last week I visited a friend in Edinburgh who lives in a 1920s bungalow, and I compared it to my 1930s house in the north west of England. The quality of his bungalow is way superior. For example no silly brick floor in the kitchen which causes adjacent walls to be damp, his joists are about 30cm over the external ground level, no spout from the kitchen sink etc. draining into a "ground drain" (kitchen and bathroom have separate iron waste pipes which both properly go underground). loft is not built on 2x3s. On the other hand I think 1930s house I used to rent in Coventry didn't have cavity wall. So maybe further up north you go, the better quality (because of more adverse weather perhaps)
I love the way you say a centimetre out compared to an inch previously. 70’s child
Lol tell me about it. I'm really trying hard to ditch imperial but it keeps coming back! 🤣
I'm a 90's child working in the electronics industry and have started saying inches when measuring things by eye because those damn yanks still measure half of everything in inches 😂
I served my apprenticeship with some old boys who’d mix and match. Here, lad! Cut that baton at 3 foot 4 and a half cm would you. Really improved my mental arithmetic!
@Des Paterson. I joined the printing industry in the early 1970's when the DIN "A" paper sizes were being introduced. Some bright spark tried to align the Metric paper sizes to old Imperial paper and finished book sizes. e.g. Metric Crown Octavo. It would take quite a lengthy paragraph to explain what this term actually meant, so I wouldn't dream of trying! The little wrinkle I did learn using Imperial was that half of an odd number of fractions of an Inch was the same odd number of the sub-division e.g. half of 5/8ths is 5/16ths. But there are benefits as to be able to use both systems. Stay safe and well.
@@clivewilliams1406 that fact that the standard used to maintain the inch in the USA is a metric standard, means that even if the average American resists metric, without it an inch would vary from place to place or be an inexact measurement.
I hear ya Andy. renovating anything is time intensive. Doing an entire house is almost a career!
Love watching you work, this series has been brilliant.
Thank you! 👍
I typically cut the bottom of the frame and drop it down to bring it square (if I can’t remove frame, and renew with thinner lining) . Good stuff as always Andy .
Cheers bud! 👍
Yep much much easier than jacking it up 🤣
This is really interesting. I've never dealt with any type of structure than timber frame. This is a whole other world. Please show more like this, really different. Thanks.
Will do! I'll try to put together an explainer of how the whole house is built at some point. 👍
My house is built similarly, I was really shocked when I saw upstairs block walls resting on timber joists but apparently it's just how it was done in those days. I've got on doorway drooping where its above the middle of the lounge ceiling. Didn't notice it until plastering was all done and I came to do architraves
@@TomTomTomTom538 Jeez. Every time I've encountered plaster walls I hire a subcontractor to take care of it. It's usually only on historic buildings as far as my experience goes. Now I'm wondering if I've just been avoiding this type of construction just from doing that.
The term nugget is great as an insult. It just works. Clearly after seeing that notched joist it was fitting.
I love your term "nugget" for the "consummate professional" who installed the plumbing. You're too polite to call him an idiot. Australians have an even better two-syllable term that's too rude to post here. It's bad enough when DIY projects are done poorly, but when alleged professionals perform these blunders it gives the building industry a black eye.
Tell me about it Bob! Lots of cowboys have had a bash at this house over the years. Most of their work has been ripped out now. 👍
I did a 30's semi over in Low Fell back in the 80's. This is reminding me of a lot of sleepless nights. :D
I can imagine! It's a lot of work! 😁
Indeed, I refurbished a late 1950s semi in Bristol in 2000 and had many similar issues.
Great use of a car jack. well done
Cheers! Did the job! 😁👍
Wee jobs like this are great....you see massive improvements quite quickly and best of all it costs next to nothing! Good stuff, Andy.👍
Cheers Jim! Defo! Nice to have a 'free' job for a change. 😂
good video Gosforth handyman the main reason i watch your videos is you explain thing really good
Cheers and no worries! 👍
Good god those nails! Every bit of architrave, skirting, trim, whatever has been held with those things in my house! Except the squeaky upstairs floor which seems to have been fixed down by thoughts and prayers alone.
Lol yeah, tell me about it. I curse every time I have to remove one of the damn things. 😂
I love your videos Andy. Keep up the good work and thanks again for sharing. 🌞
Cheers Ray - no worries!
Andy I almost thought you were gonna bang out a paradiddle on that second door frame!
Mr. Porter made a good point about framing out those wall sections. If they're not load bearing it's worth the work. Otherwise every time you look at those doors you'll think........
shoulda, coulda, woulda.
If I did every 'coulda' job in this house I'd still be renovating it in 2 years. 😉
@@GosforthHandyman Ever thought of building your own house from the start! it probably, once the ground works are done, is easier.
Nice one Andy. Ever resourceful.👍🏽😊
Cheers Mandy! 👍
Great video, thanks Andy
No worries!
Really like these videos, my house was built in 1908 anf they give me many ideas for the renovation work that needs doing on mine.
No worries Tony! You get some really nice 1900's houses. 👍
If you haven't got a car jack, I particularly liked the "Essential Craftsman 2x4 jack" video from a couple of years ago where he uses an ingenious couple of 2x4's as a lever to lift a gable end garage door jamb an inch or so after vehicle ripped out a bottom plate.
I don't think I've seen that one - I'll have a look for it! Good find! 👍
@@GosforthHandyman It’s called a ‘proud shore’- cut 2 inches longer than door frame height - then whack the bottom over to achieve required lift.😉
I came across an old boy chippie doing adjustments same as yourself but with sliding wedges that was quite a easy way than a car jack but its good to have options
In this scenario I think you'd struggle to get the force needed to open up the frame. 👍
Yes....get it done!
Done! 😁
Thanks for this
No worries! 👍
I raised the sagging shed roof with the same tools, but a bit more Lidl! Good call!
Ha, you can get some decent tools at Lidl! 😁
Great work bud and thanks for sharing this with us take care
Cheers and no worries!
@@GosforthHandyman 👍🏻
Your a 'Jack' of all trades!! 🤣🤣 Great tip.
👍😂
Amazing Vlog Andy Hope all Goes Well.
No worries and cheers Neil!
It’s so interesting to hear the term Architrave. British, New Zealand, and Australian construction guys use that term….
We in Canada use the term casings and trim….
Interesting! 👍👍
Right but if you go to any local lumber yard or building supply store and you use the term architrave you will get a blank stare and be told, “we don’t sell those here…. But we have this door casing, would that work?”
I just really like how each region has their own vernacular for the same thing.
@@clivewilliams1406 I’m in the center of Canada with most of our terms dictated by the big box stores which come from the USA. I’m not disagreeing with the architectural terminology. We have to live here with the lowest common denominator and I’m sure there are too many letters in architrave for many to the south of Canada to pronounce, let alone read or spell.
Oh crud, did I say that out loud again.😂
I always learn something from you thanks.
No worries at all! 👍
Andy - well that’s one way to do it - but you achieved a good enough result.😀👍
Cheers - done! 👍
Hearing the sped up hammering noises makes me think of Benny Hill slapping that old bald man on the head….🤣
"its now a centimeter from being an inch" being norwegian watching a lot of american vids , ive ne er seen someome use both hehe
It's true! In the UK we interchange metric and imperial so much! I find myself doing it all the time haha :D
Thanks for the video =)
No worries! 👍
Fair plat to you. Big job especially with all the prep and painting still to do. Honestly I’d have ripped the whole thing out myself and put a new one in . Much less of a ball ache but fair play
Drop the left side of the frame down by driving a wedge between the head and brick work
I’d take off an inch from the bottom of the door lining and hide the gap at the top with the architrave.
Hello, I’d love to see the testing of concrete screws vs screws with wall plugs and see the difference in pull out strength
They'd both exceed my test rig unfortunately. Mine only goes up to 300kg I think. Concrete screws will win by a long way, I think. 😁
It's been awhile since i did Carpentry but i would have been inclined to run a hacksaw blade between door frame and wall and cut the fixings off. It's probably nailed as many were in the old days. Move your frame up adding a packer under your door frame and refix with screws and plugs. This way you retain the original gap at the top of your door. I don't believe the door dropped because of movement in the floor, The door frame may not have been resting on the floor from day one and the weight of the door over time has pulled it down. Nail fixings in this type of block material is a very weak fixing and would never suppoert the weight of a door over time.
Is it possible to lift the one side of the frame from the bottom of the upright leg? You'd need some way of transferring the load from the jack to the underneath of the leg, maybe a squared S shaped bar.
You'd need to cut the fixings or it would rip the wall apart. 👍
Ah no, no, no no! Your eyes will forever go to the the frame, you have built in anguish into your life.
?? By making it level? 🤔
Imagine if all door frames came with built in jacking points like cars. It would be hilarious. Well, it would certainly make me laugh.
We here across the pond call that a cob job.
You treated the symptoms but not the problem. The problem being the support wall has collapsed and needs to be raised and resupported.
??? The supporting wall hasn't collapsed.
The second story wall area in video is supported by the first story wall which is acting like a pillar and that area on the first story area is sagging too.
The area under the first story floor needs to be jacked (or raised) to its original position. This in kind would raise the second story floor back to its original positon and then the modifications to the door frames wouldn't be necessary.
I had an RV and mobile home repair business for twenty years. The same principles of construction that apply to housing apply to rvs and mobile homes just on a different scale.
What I can tell you is when the foundation (in the case of rvs and mobile homes, the frame) is off, doors and windows do not shut right. Setting the frame level, I never had a case where all the doors and windows didn't work properly.
The fact that you did not set the frame of the house properly, sent my OCD into hyperdrive.
No, covered this in the vid. The ground floor walls haven't dropped.
Then what happened to cause the second story floor to sag?
@@GosforthHandyman professionals eh?, Gosforth.......!
Wouldn't it be better to shim between the floor and the hinge side leg of the door frame? That would also help with your reveals around the door when you shut it.
You'd have to cut all the existing fixings and that would cause major damage to the wall. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman I see...so the door frame acts somewhat like a structural part of the wall? Is that common in block walls over there, or is it mainly due to the house's age?
The frame is nailed to wooden wedges embedded in the cinder block. If you cut the nails it will loosen all the wedges and damage the wall. It's fine as one unit but mess to much and you might as well take the lot down. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman Huh. Interesting. Thanks for the explanation, and keep up the great work. 😎👍
i would take the old walls out and replace with stud walls
why ?
A LOT of extra work, but if I had infinite time. 😁
So, you'd really do all that extra work to straighten up a door frame a bit?
On top of all the hundreds of other jobs this house needs.....?!
Hi fella, great videos. Can you do one about how you are going to tie the cracks together in the cinder block walls please? Have the same problem in my place so interested in seeing how you do it.
Oh nothing fancy, just a metal strap screwed across the main cracks. I doubt it will move any more though. 👍
Have you found the door frames arnt flush with the wall now that the architrave has been removed? I've noticed it in my house.
Loads of them aren't flush and even worse now the walls are re-plastered. Might cover that in a future vid but will be shimming them out. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman thats what i feared. I've found 4mm and 6mm stripwood in wicks and b&q that I'm going to use to hopefully bring the frame level with the walls again.
Came across your video. Having same issue, but can this be done on a front door on concrete slab?
So you jacked up the frame head so the joint at the corner opened up. So if you remove the frame jamb on the hinge side, move it up and refix you won't need to do anything to the door. I think its the old block wall that the frame was attached to that dropped causing the frame to drop with it. If its non-structural just take the wall out and put a new stud frame up. Is that a concrete lintel above the door frame?
It's just more cinder blocks above the door frame, no lintels. Lot of extra work to completely remove 4 door frames and the associated walls. 👍
Andy - wasn’t the water cylinder in the bathroom in the corner adjacent to this door? I’d think that would be the root cause of this door frame being out of level, and the corresponding crack in the bedroom wall too.
Yup! Briefly mentioned in the vid. Almost certainly contributed to the problems. Not to mention the water tank in the loft bearing down on the same wall. 👍
Wow 16:30 you can actually see the wall move 😲
Lol yes! Hadn't noticed that! There's not much above there. 👍
Suggest you put in a tapered piece at the top to make it look level or a piece 10mm thick with appropriate varying thickness spacers. Once the architrave is on and it's all painted you won't see it and it will look perfect. (Don't ask me how I know this 😉)
Yup, that's exactly the plan Mark! As you say, once it's all put back together nobody would ever know. 👍😁
@@GosforthHandyman Great minds...
i'm not sure if i missed something, do i have this right - so the one end of the joist is resting on the downstairs wall, and that is solid, at good height. the other end is resting on the (i dunno what is called, but the outside wall?), and that is also good. the joist is not supported along its length by anything else, and so the joist itself sagged through the middle? is that right?
Yes, slight sag in the middle. It could also be contraction of the timbers. 👍
WOW, those trim nails look like the same size as the trim nails used in my house, which was built in 1921. Location: Pennsylvania, USA.
Interesting! I wonder why? Crazily huge nails for trim. 🤣
It’s Character mate, well that what I’ve told the misses to avoid this job 😂
Ha ha, defo. Still has a bit of character mind. 😁
I know you do not want to redo the wall as it will be a P.I.T.A. However, as the wall is not as stable as it should be would it not be worth the effort to replace the wall? If it was replaced with wood construction it would also reduce to load on the joist underneath it.
The wall is fine as it is, beat in mind this settling is probably from 80+ years ago. No more movement now. 👍
Probably easier to cut 1inch off the opposite jam. And bar down
You'd then have one door frame lower than the rest. 👍
You didn't rearly mention what the floor was like at the bottom of the doors. Is the floor sloping as bad/you're happy with that/not playing marbles anyway?
It's not really noticeable at floor level. The actual floors in the rooms are level. 👍
my bedroom wall is cinder block too. how do i even go about replacing the door frame for that??
With all the other frames being pretty good I did wonder if these two were installed on the wonk rather than having settled a lot.
I have a similar question about my own house. Some of the door frames are really out, but the architraves are mitred as if it was always that way. My theory: the apprentice did it. Also a 1920's house.
Don't think so as the doors are square. 👍
I hope that when the bathroom is reinstalled and the bedroom furniture is in place the weight doesn't cause the joists to move again.
Really should have replaced those walls with studwork or install steels from below.
Very much doubt it. The settling probably happened 90 years ago. Unlikely to move any more. 👍
Sounds like waayy over the top to me! A bit of make do and mend is often sufficient.......!!
Maybe , but what is that wall sat on in the room below? Is there another wall, or just a joist? Now is the time to do the job properly.
Would hate to see cracks developing in a few months time when the floors are loaded up again.
Is there a plasterer in the area you can recommend? I have a 1903 renovation in Gateshead and I'm at the same stage as you!
Drop me a note via website 👍
@@GosforthHandyman Will do thanks!
Did you just use hard wood pegs there once you had lifted the frame?
Not hardwood but yeah, just wooden wedges. 👍
Sawzall to cut through all the frame fixings for me, then trim and refit the door/frame as necessary then refix. Far too easy to move a lintel with a jack
There's no lintels on these, all blockwork. Cutting the fixings would cause major wall damage and re-fixing would be tricky with these ones. 👍
agree. but that's the difference between trade and DIY, mostly find this guy very watchable. This type of problem is very common upto and including property built until mid/late sixty's early seventies then soul plates introduced. How do I know that ? As an Apprentice hearing my boss arguing with building inspector or C.O.W about extra costs etc etc ..
Its one of those jobs that, whilst a lot of work.... is easier than you expect.
I remember paying for a floor to be jacked up, when my handyman turned up with a crowbar and a few old broken slates, I was impressed. If only I had knows, I would have done it my self!
(he charged fairly though, did a good job, and let me help(I am that kind of customer))
Ha ha, great stuff! Yes, it's a relatively quick job... if it works. 😁
I allso do plastering. If I seen u do that I would laugh. 😊.. . See I know because I've been called back on some jobs.. Same problem. That your talking about
Out of interest why wouldn’t you use wedges under the side jam (after jacking up) to raise that back up to the wooden lintel? Wouldn’t this mean you might not have to rehang the door?
You'd need a lot more than a wedge with the horizontal fixings I'd think. He'd have had to basically cut the nails/screws into the block work using a reciprocal saw or something. That's probably how I would have thought to do it, but it may do more damage to the blockwork I suppose.
As Rico says, it would mean cutting all the fixings in to the wall and that would cause major damage. Plus re-fixing afterwards would be tricky as these cinder blocks are only thin. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman thanks for explaining
Looking back at your previous video you show that the wall has nothing below it, if it is only a thicker joist it will move and wreak your new plaster, trust me I know. I have 30 years experience as a carpenter and seen this before several times with house renovations.
Clients don't want to spend the money to change the walls or turn the single joist into a flitch beam but do regret it afterwards when cracks appear.
Bear in mind this settling is from 80+ years ago. There's no more movement in that wall. 👍
But there is cracks in it now, how long ago was the room last decorated ? 10 years ?
@@pauljohn6709 probably 30+ years ago, but also bear in mind that's likely from the old water tanks (x2) and the huge notch out of the joist. No ceiling damage downstairs.
trying to fix into those blocks is a nightmare, no amount of rawl plugging helps
If they’re the same sort of blocks I’m imagining they are, I find screwing directly into them is best. I suppose masonry screws and a very narrow pilot hole would be the belt and braces approach.
As long as the block is intact I've found they take plugs fine - trouble is they're only thin. These are pretty dense though. I've seen more lightweight ones. 👍
I'd have all that block wall out and stud it, on the first door you done. I expect its straight on floor boards, coursing joist to sag.
I would agree. Wall between our bathroom and a bedroom was odd construction with studs infilled with bricks standing laid on their face rather than top/bottom. It has been a pain and I regret thirty years later not biting the bullet and tearing it out.
Was about to say the exact same thing. Couple of days work to bring it back to drywall ready for the plasterer.
It's a lot of extra work (a lot more than 2 days) as electrics would need moved etc. plus it would wipe out 2 other door frames and walls in the process.
That is always the issue. It seems easy until you actually see what else is involved. For me it was moving all the CH and hot water plumbing.
A good DIY'er always under estimates the effort. Otherwise we'd never start. 😁
If I was keeping the original door I would have cut through the nails securing the leg and picked the whole leg up not just the head to maintain the door head gap...interesting idea tho.
Wait, you can get a plasterer in? They all tell me I’m next in summer 2022...
oh, you should have a lot of patience to deal with such houses, and I'm sure majority of houses in UK are in the same or worse state (including mine build around 1927)... I think it might be cheaper and faster to demolish the house and build a new one.... In general I think that quility/price ratio in UK is among the worst in the world.
You're not wrong! Building a house from scratch typically takes around 9 months. A full reno like this can take much longer since there's so much to strip out and fix before you can even get started. 👍😁
You'd have thought a nice modern house built to nice modern standards would be sooo much better. I've lived in 1970s house where the bricks were 'frost shattering' below DPC, as the bricks weren't fired hard enough. The inspection chambers were built for foul and grey water, but no pipes joined them, all for show so the building inspector could be conned. I have seen a friends bungalow, none of the doors are parallel to their frames at the top, built in 1990s I think. I live in a 200 to 300 year old house built of stone and mortar, well the mortar has returned to dust, but the stones are there through habit. If it hasn't fallen apart over that time, it must be a good one. I've fixed the intervening 'nuggets' attempts at bringing it down so should be fine for another hundred years. My old house and my friends? I suppose they will be torn down and rebuilt in a few decades, just as some of the contemporary to mine have been.
Modern regs are only as good as modern inspections. (The inspectors I've met are great, but over worked, how much duff work has been hidden from them? We are coming up to the Grenville Tragedy anniversary. It was the 2010s modernization and lack of maintenance that caused that. The 1970s building would be cold, but may not have killed so many.)
Another thought provoking video, Andy.
@@GosforthHandyman the point being, of course that if you want an old house, you don't want a new one!
Blindingly obvious, but the new build will have no character, no odd quirky bits, no history......!
@@andymccabe6712 well.. I would say that in UK with number of new builds and places where they built you barely have a choice. The best choice you usually have is either house with history of 70 years or 100+. I couldn't buy new house in the place where I was searching. Just because there are none.
I don't think you found this house, I think it found you. It needs you to make it stand tall for another 100 years
Thank you! Yes, that's definitely my aim. A 1-in-100 year renovation hopefully. 👍
I had the same thought, but it decided to inflict its curse on another victim... I may be projecting from my house that fights back at every point.
@@GosforthHandyman You're doing permanent fixes for all the problems that a house-flipper would have covered up with flimsy finishes and a lick of paint. There's profit in a quick cosmetic job, but there's rewarding satisfaction in doing a job right.
Is I was u. I wouldn't do that. I know the problem I've had meny times before. I do house renovations. Take out the door frame. And strength with wood next to the door frame and joists frooring. And cement. It will sage back. If u don't
I would have ripped them out and put new frames in.
Many people like older houses BECAUSE of the old fixtures and fittings - otherwise you may as well buy a new house.....!!
Taking out the frames would have also taken out the walls. 👍
Why jack the door up at all? Why not pack the door frame out, and accept an ever so slightly smaller door?
The doorway and architrave would be at a different height to the adjacent door. Did consider this but it would be very noticeable. 👍
Why not just use new door liners time you fuss about with that
I'm guessing it's early 1920s? I get the impression that it was cheaply built.
1925 or thereabouts. It's solidly built mind. Lots of features that you rarely see in such an old house (cavity walls, minimal lath & plaster etc.).
@@GosforthHandyman I think cavity walls are quite standard in all the post WW1 houses in the north. For what it's worth last week I visited a friend in Edinburgh who lives in a 1920s bungalow, and I compared it to my 1930s house in the north west of England. The quality of his bungalow is way superior. For example no silly brick floor in the kitchen which causes adjacent walls to be damp, his joists are about 30cm over the external ground level, no spout from the kitchen sink etc. draining into a "ground drain" (kitchen and bathroom have separate iron waste pipes which both properly go underground). loft is not built on 2x3s. On the other hand I think 1930s house I used to rent in Coventry didn't have cavity wall. So maybe further up north you go, the better quality (because of more adverse weather perhaps)
why not just replace all the door frames and start fresh
Maybe little things like time, money etc might be a consideration........!
And it would take out the walls in the process! 👍