DIBs: Deserted Island Bob
"They call me, Mr. DIBs"
This writer is known as a good problem-solver for having come up with many
simple solutions. A lot
of his problem-solving comes from a timistic analysis. and
acupuncture
morality. Perhaps the best and simplest accolade acknowledging this
problem-solving quality was
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how three different people
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in three different places (St. Louis, Chicago, and Richmond)
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in three different years 1971, 1975 and 1985
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in three different professions (academia, construction and printing)
issued the same nickname for me without any prompting by me or knowledge
of the other. The second time I received this title, it was amusing. The
third time was eerie. In all three cases, the individuals said that if they
had to go to a deserted island and had to take one person, it would be me,
DIBs, Deserted Island Bob. As a DIBS, I am fulfilling the
meaning of life, that is, being
a problem-solving time-creator.
Over the years I have formulated simple solutions to problems bigger than
my personal problems.
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Solar
Shades: A simple solution to winter time heating that cost $25 and three
workhours but saved over $1000 in heating costs each winter.
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Lansing, Michigan: Lead-tainted Water: The city should have used a
vaccum dirt truck to expose the connection to the main with home-owners receiving
a shovel to dig out their line within seven days. The pipe would be replaced
with the home-owner/-renter having 24-hours to shovel the dirt back in so
the shovel could go to the next city section. The home dwellers bare partial
blame for the problem as they, per televised accounts, spend a lot of time
watching sports rather than their community. The cost to tax-payers would
have been a few pennies on the dollars that were spent. Costs were between
$40 and $80 million.
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Conneticut Basement Concrete Morass: Due to poor aggregate in making
the concrete for pouring basement walls, the walls are expanding and contracting
causing cracks that lessen the stability of the house. Unfixed, the house
is worthless. Per a New York Times article (June 7, 2016) the project repair
cost is $170,000 to $200,000. There is a simpler, far less expensive way.
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Plan on replacing a 32" section with concrete blocks. Many homes are built
with block basements instead poured. The latter lower labor-costs make block
basements more expensive.
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Off the floor, snap lines every two feet off the floor. (If you have to remove
wall coverings, save mark the location so you can use to re-install later.)
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Plan on doing one corner at a time. While unnecessary, but to ease your mind,
use a stantion and 8"x6" to support the floor and house. Stantions, also
called "jack posts," will support 10 to 20 tons which is far more than average
weight of a house corner. Most houses in total do not weight more than 60
or 80 tons. A square foot of concrete will support 288 tons, more than four
times the weight of a 2000 sqft house. A hollow 8"x16" concrete block is
designed to withstand 120,000 pounds of pressure ... or 60 tons that is the
about weight of an average house.
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With a circular saw equipped with a industrial diamond blade, cut and remove
the corner. Industrial diamond blades are not only cheap and long-lasting,
but they cut through concrete like a hot knife through butter. You might
want to purchase a small electric jackhammer. (Like all tools for this one-time
job, you can sell on eBay later as I did with tree climbing equipment that
at the age of 62 I cut down an 80ft oak tree in the middle of my garden in
the winter.)
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Mix you mortar in a five-gallon bucket using a 1/2 inch drill equipped with
a dry wall plaster mixer blade. You only need to due a gallon at a time as
you will use it quickly. (Practice making laying blocks somewhere before
replacing the wall. It is not hard.)
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You don't have to replace the whole basement. A 32" column every 10 feet
with corners would be more than enough support. With dry wall or paneling,
you would be good to go.
120 ton 8ft
support
column
8" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
8" |
16" |
16" |
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If you have a friend(s) with the same problem, make it a team effort.
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In 2020 due to the trump virus shelter-in-place, you can increase your home
equity to full-basement price since you have some time on your hand.
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A simple HVAC system for both cooling and heating is possible for an annual
operating cost of less than $100. Start up costs are a few thousand. Will
share when there are enough Timists to create the manufacturing demand for
the parts. Solar shades are nice. But this would be nicer.