Need work done on Levit house (Levittown, Hope: new house, buying, contractor)
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We are in the process of buying a new house. For those familiar with the Levit style houses, this one has had the lower level opened up. So instead of 2 small rooms to the left as you enter, the wall was removed to make it one large space.
On the house inspection, the inspector noted that the beam were the wall was removed had a slight sag... he said it isn't going to fall down immediately but needs to be addressed because it will get worse over time.
So we need to have the beam reinforced. We have one quote that the previous owners got before we settled the contract.
Just wondering if anyone has had this type of work done before...
Can anyone recommend a company that can do it?
We wanted to do it before we moved in while the house was empty but a delayed closing date isn't going to make that possible. Is it going to be a nightmare to do while we are in there?
Don't know exactly the length of the beam.. We aren't in the house officially until next week.
It is from the outside wall to the stairs in the center of the room.
I've seen some Levit houses that have the wall removed but in a sort of frame so that there is still some support because that is a weight bearing wall. But this house has that wall completely removed.
Are you talking about the main bedroom and the den part (mine was to the right)? My Dad did that when we were kids into one big, huge den. He also dormer'd the top front and back, blew out the LR and knocked the kitchen and DR into the garage space. He turned a tiny Levit into basically a colonial, though he never truly finished anything.
The original question, I think my dad put an i-beam in for the big room (or at least a thick metal plate along side the beam) and we never had an issue. Can you see the beam he put in or is it burried in the ceiling?
In order to repair or reinforce the beam, the sheet rock will have to be removed. First off to inspect what needs to be done. Hopefully you will not have to replace the beam.
I live in a Levitt cape and when we bought the house 5 years ago - the living room was in the front and the master was in the back. We removed the wall ourselves and put in a beam. The rooms werent completely opened to each other though....we had a nice opening though still...Now 5 years later we just did a full dormer and knocked all the walls down downstairs. The whole downstairs is one big room.....No walls at all and the ceiling is flush. Where abouts in Levittown did you buy? Congratulations
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