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

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.

  1. Solar Shades: A simple solution to winter time heating that cost $25 and three workhours but saved over $1000 in heating costs each winter.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
    1. 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.
    2. 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.)
    3. 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.
    4. 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.)
    5. 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.)
    6. 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"
    7. If you have a friend(s) with the same problem, make it a team effort.
    8. 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.
  4. 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.