Three 6 Hybrids is Moving Out of the Carport (1 Viewer)

[FJ60Cam]

I barely make it home when I get a call from their supervisor saying that the wall is moving and in the verge of caving in when they pry on the window and they don’t want to proceed.

I tell them to chill, I’m on the way to see what’s up.

 

[FJ60Cam]

***STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, PLEASE LEAVE THE THREAD. WE’LL CALL YOU WHEN ITS SAFE TO RETURN***

 

[FJ60Cam]

I get to the scene and, of course, not much has happened. The supervisor shows me what happens when they pry on the window, and tell me I need a lintle lift company to come out and lift the lintle and rebuild the wall, that the old window is the only thing holding it together at this point.

I agree with them, not because I agreed with them, but because I could tell they did not need to be doing the demo in this instance. I needed to get them outta here ASAP. These guys were not skilled surgeons. Their demo tools consisted of prybars and hammers, not sawzalls and cutoff wheels.

We agree to punt for now, and I’ll call back when I’m ready for them.

 

[wct49]

 

[FJ60Cam]

I wait for these mofos to leave, pull up the operating cart (my 100 series) loaded with my surgical tools up close to the building, then lock the gate behind myself so I don’t get any unexpected Summer Avenue visitors.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I knew full well what I was buying here and why it was 1/4 market price and why the investors were eager to take a low offer. I knew this could backfire on me, and I’d be stuck with a worthless building on a tiny lot in the up and coming part of town.

But I also knew that the upside potential was even bigger and that if I held my mouth just right and crossed my fingers, and asked forgiveness instead of permission, then I just might be able to pull off the heist of the century.

 

[FJ60Cam]

Back to the scene of the crime...

This is an old MF’n building. The cinder blocks have a few stairstep cracks where the building has settled. But I had a plan (to be revealed later, only if it works.)

I pull my ladder up to the windows and take a look at what’s going on.

 

[FJ60Cam]

First of all, this is an all-metal window built in 1945. It is made of melted down tanks from WWII. You can’t just walk up to it with a pry bar and expect it to give up. This dude defeated the Axis powers by staring death in the face despite being surrounded on all sides.

Second of all, it was 100% encapsulated in concrete block wall. It was assembled in place. Something has to give, and it wasn’t going to be this metal window unless the blocks come with it.

Third, there is absolutely zero weight being held up by this window. I could shift it around in position. There was zero friction. It was just imprisoned behind a tomb of delicate concrete blocks.

 

[Ol Yeller]

First of all, this is an metal window built in 1945. It is made of melted down tanks from WWII. You can’t just walk up to it with a pry bar and expect it to give up. This dude defeated the Axis powers by staring death in the face despite being surrounded on all sides.

Second of all, it was 100% encapsulated in concrete block wall. It was assembled in place. Something has to give, and it wasn’t going to be this metal window unless the blocks come with it.

Third, there is absolutely zero weight being held up by this window. I could shift it around in position. There was zero friction. It was just imprisoned behind a tomb of delicate concrete blocks.

Waiting for pics to back up this fine tale...

 

[FJ60Cam]

Waiting for pics to back up this fine tale...

The two big windows (5’x8’) in this wall had zero glass panes left in them. The PO put plexiglass on the outside, sandwiched in place with 2x4s.

That made it easy for the extraction, since I could dismember it with the cutoff wheel without having to knock the glass out first

After a few minutes, I had the security bars and the tilt section removed...

Once I got that out, I just started cutting out the sections a piece at a time until only the frame remained. Then I cut it and folded it in on itself to remove. Must have been several hundred pounds of steel in each window.

Finally, freedom!

At that point, I called the window dude with an update on the situation and convinced him to send his crew back. I sent some pictures of some areas of concern and he said they could come back tomorrow morning.

Excited, I went to work on the other window.

 

[FJ60Cam]

The last window was going to be more of a challenge. (There’s actually two more big windows after that, but I’m just filling those in, so they can wait.)

This window is in the current “office”, which I’ll be demo’ing to make one open air space. The office was framed in with a ceiling, the top half of the window above the ceiling. The outside of the big window was blocked by the awning, which I don’t want to take down, so I needed to peel back the sheetrock and structure to expose the window for removal from the interior side.

 

[FJ60Cam]

As I peeled back the first piece of sheetrock, I exposed some original wall, painted in #ETAF green. A feeling of calm washed over me and at that instant I knew everything was going to be alright.

 

[OGBeno]

#ETAF and the dude-formerly-known-as-beno approve.

 

[wngrog]

Andy Dufreeene would have chipped out those old blocks with a rock hammer.

 

[FJ60Cam]

I didn’t have Andy, but I did channel my inner Hedo Rick and went full Rippin an’ Tearin on the office to excavate the front window.

 

[FJ60Cam]

As I said before, this whole office is coming out. I don’t have a dumpster yet, so I’m not ready for a full demo, but I did tear back the first few feet, enough to get the window out.

Luckily, I found an unopened pack of dust masks from the clean out crew just as I was getting started. I only got a small taste of coronavirus from all the rat turd and termite infested sheetrock and insulation before I found them.

It will be good to get all of this sh!t out of the building and get back to clean surface.

 

[BMThiker]

Guerrila demo at its finest.

 

[BMThiker]

Get you one of these if you don't have one.

 

[wngrog]

Get you one of these if you don't have one.
View attachment 2194653

Thats a mighty fine coon dick

 

[FJ60Cam]

Window guys came back out. The estimator that originally came out measured the openings incorrectly, so they had to head back to the shop to cut down the materials. By the time they were done it was too late in the day to install them. The estimator also gave me the wrong depth for the windows, so I had to cut 10' of concrete window sill with the angle grinder to make room, and now I'm covered in concrete dust. Fun times.

I've got a dumpster coming tomorrow, so the Rippin an' Tearin can proceed at full speed. Also ordered a fix for the settling walls to try out.

***STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS,WE HAVE NOT CALLED YOU BACK IN YET***