Ask the Architect

Finally elevating a house

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Q. I’m finally about to lift my house. It only took three years. I became suspicious right from the get-go that N.Y. Rising and the Small Business Administration loan I almost took would never cover the complete job. I spoke with several contractors and got wild prices, from way-over-the-top to so cheap I was sure they wouldn’t get the work done. They even tried recommending a different structure, and I got concerned about whether the job would come out right. You wrote about not using the glued-together particle beams — I think you called them laminated — so I stayed away from choosing any contractor who wanted to use them. Right? My question is, my neighbor had her house lifted, and said she was back in it in 30 days. I watched part of it, and it was more like 60 days, but other houses took six months to a year. How long should it take? Her lowest floor is open on columns, not enclosed like I want.

A. Cost haunts many projects. At the beginning, N.Y. Rising program advisers promised that people would be covered to get back in their homes, which caused confusion. Homeowners interpreted that to mean they’d be covered for everything. I see this all the time with fire insurance settlements, where the homeowner approaches me with several costly uncovered improvements while putting the house back together. The government program was never intended to help people make home improvements. The purpose was to make the home “safe, sanitary, and decent,” as stated in the published FEMA mission statement. Other costs come from the homeowner.

The laminated, engineered beams, made of compressed glue and wood, are excellent for interior applications but not for prolonged exposure to weather. Some manufacturers claim they can be used in exterior protected conditions but limit the warranty. This should arouse suspicion, since the main structure is intended to last 100 years, and a warranty of five years does not help.

I’m glad you avoid contractors who try to change the design, since they have no authority to do so. It’s always impressive when bidding contractors ask first, because architects and engineers are delegated the authority to take responsibility, even if they don’t want to, for the behavior of the building. When contractors proudly point out they made a structural change, without the engineering or code background to do that, they’re taking a risk, guessing their intuition was right. Often it isn’t.

The time it takes to build involves several factors. Concrete strengthens from the inside out. Except for special types, concrete must cure at least a week. Excavating, forming, back-fill, utility disconnects and reconnects take a lot longer. If no other changes were made and the utilities are extended and the stairs rebuilt, 30 days is possible. Your job is much bigger, probably involving structural changes and exterior work. Weather delays, worker and subcontractor availability prolong the job. Plan on six months and be happier when it’s less.

© 2015 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.