Does anyone have a secret way to lift walls by yourself. I have two that are 2 feet long each. And I can’t find any wall jacks to rent. Or should I just wait for a couple of buddies to come over and get them to help. Thanks Hat
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Upgrading the footings and columns that support a girder beam is an opportunity to level out the floor above.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
There's gotta be a typo here someplace. A two foot wall, I could lift alone on my worst day with my little finger.
I did a couple of twenty eight foot long by ten foot high gable end walls with all siding and soffit/fascia on one. Used Hydraulic bottle jacks, ropes for sftey to keep it from going over too far, and screw type house jacks to get up the first several feet, then a walking pole.
wouldn't recommend it though. Learn to make friends or rent wall jacks....
first house I ever built, in 75, was a finished wall style build popular at the time. Also used 1" oak boards for sheating, primed hardboard (remember that crap) for siding. Installed the doors, windows, siding, plywood soffits, subfacia and redwood facia before standing. Caulked and painted. Gable ends had fly? panning. Starting 18" to 36" at peak. Have to be accurate with this method of build. Used friends pipe style wall jacks. I see they are still sold in FHB. I think we used 3 in 48 ft. Stained the hell out of them. Don't see anyone building like this anymore. I now prefer standing stud walls with maybe a few or no sheets of OSB.
Sorry that's 28 foot wall Tim
Why not build it in two sections 14' long? That would be a lot more manageable.
Actually, I don't understand the thinking behind you guys who build long walls and then have to use wall jacks. What's the reason you don't break them up?
I was going 70 miles an hour and got stopped by a cop who said, "Do you know the speed limit is 55 miles per hour?" "Yes, officer, but I wasn't going to be out that long..."
Buy yourself two or three wall jacks from Tool Crib for crying out loud. For about $100.00 apiece they'll save your back and allow you to lift any wall or beam alone. I put in a 5" x 18" x 24' long gluelam in place last year by myself and never broke a sweat. Seriously, what's your safety worth? You can't even get a good pneumatic nailer for what you'll pay for a pair of wall jacks.
Jim -
You didn't really address the question I asked. Why not build the wall in sections, instead of one long piece? Then you wouldn't need the wall jacks.
Is it personal preference, or is ther some other reason?
Maybe it's just a regional thing...................(-:
If only women measured charm by the amount of methane produced.......
Sorry, Boss, I was replying to the original question and forgot to change the "reply to" feature.
I have split very large walls in the past, just as you suggest, but I try to avoid it. The main advantage to framing a wall when it's horizontal, instead of vertical, is obvious to anyone who's done it - gravity is your friend, not your foe - especially for one person working alone, or one experienced hand with a helper. The problem with splitting long walls is that you can't run the siding through to the other side, or the soffit if you frame that on the deck...I'm sure you see what I mean.
I think one of the main reasons you see less and less of this style framing these days is the emergence of "siders" as sub contractors. What with the popularity of first vinal, and now fiber cement, both of which take specific skills to apply, many buildings are again sided after the walls are stood, just like our grandfathers used to do it.
Anyone getting into this trade should buy at least two wall jacks, right along with their first skilsaw, step ladder and extension cords. Otherwise it's just too easy to try and horse heavy things like walls and beams around, instead of using leverage and your brain. I bet anyone who's blown out a disc in their back would agree.
Jim -
I understand your point about framing on the deck if you're installing siding. But I've never seen that done.
Yet another regional thing?
What goes around usually gets dizzy and falls over.
Boss, you said - "I understand your point about framing on the deck if you're installing siding. But I've never seen that done. Yet another regional thing?"
I'd be very surprised if it were a regional thing. First time I saw it was my first day framing here in the Pacific Northwest in the late 70's. Siding, windows, any exterior trim you could apply that way...common practice around here in those days. Surely production framers around the country do virtually the same thing...I'm certain blue mentioned it a few times and he's in the midwest...I hope framers from other parts of the continent chime in.
Was popular in Wis in 70,s. Especially big apartments, staight and huge, and long motels. Don't see it at all now. Probably all the aluminum soffits and vynal take away the comparitive advantage. (kid just gradgitated business school and explained the concept)
I would have to say it definitely IS a regional thing - Even if 90% of the country does it, but one state doesn't, isn't that still "regional"?
I've never seen it in Illinois, from St. Louis to Chicago. And I never heard of it until I hooked up with these forums a few years ago.
I'm also curious to hear how widespread it is.............
We have old wall jacks that we use. I forget the brand. They are like the ones in Tool Crib. We recently thought about buying the Proctor wall jacks, but we bought a reach forklift. It is a 1974 that is an ugly reddish orange, but boy have we fallen in love. The thing cost us $7500 and the first job we used it on we came in $3000 under the bid for framing and siding (in terms of Labor$). The roof was stick framed. We lifted a 33' 3-1/2x16" LVL for the hip. On the house we are currently framing we built a 32' long by 22' tall gable wall and lifted it with the forklift. The wall jacks are cheaper, but my recommendation is to find a cheap but realiable forklift. You can lift material and walls. Of course that other option is to take steroids like some baseball players and then you could lift everything :-O
Boss,
Here in Southern Michigan walls still get built with as much as we can get on 'em while they're still on the deck. We don't do it as much as we used to, but it still gets done.
Load up the wall, get out the old Mac-hoist wall jacks and crank 'em up.
-Sawdaddy