Thanks Dan,
I've made an appointment with a structural engineer who was recommended
to me. I'm interested in your decision to go straight to a contractor.
My problem sounds remarkably similar to yours - the sinking is in the
middle. I'd love to hear more about what your diagnosis is - and what
you're doing. Did all the contractors agree on the basics? I've read
everything on the Berkeley Parents site and it's been very useful, but
sometimes contradictory - esp on this point about consulting with an
engineer before going to the contractors. I still have time to cancel
or change my appointment with the engineer.
vj
Dan_Musicant wrote:
- Posted and emailed-
On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 22:44:58 -0800, David Nebenzahl
wrote:
:vj spake thus:
:
: David Nebenzahl wrote:
:
:vj spake thus:
:
:I'm looking for recommendations for a structural engineer to evaluate
:sinking floors in my 100-year-old Berkeley (Calif.) flatlands home -
:you know, land of foundation-rattling quakes and soil-saturating winter
:rains. i've read through all the threads here, and am ready to start
:calling but would appreciate hearing about good experiences - or bad
:ones, for that matter.
:
:Don't know any, but here's my suggestion: call Matt Cantor, who runs a
:home inspection business here. (You can find his ad, as well as his
:weekly column, in the /Berkeley Daily Planet/.) He's a good guy and can
:point you in the right direction, as well as maybe answering other
:questions you might have.
:
: thank you!. i appreciate it - the hardest part is having no clue who
: to call.
:
:Tell me about it: like how do you find a decent mechanic if your car
:suddenly breaks down?
To answer the last question, I would consider going to www.cars.com and
checking out customer recommendations for car mechanics in your area.
The first question: I think I can help some here -- I also own a house
in the Berkeley flatlands and it was built between 1910 and 1915 (not
sure exactly when). It also has a sunken floors problem, in particular
near the middle of the house.
I've had a number of contractors come over here and evaluate, several of
these guys are foundation specialists. In fact, one is scheduled to come
over in a week or so. They came recommended by one local city official,
for what that's worth: Live Oak Structural. The official also
recommended I call Winfield Construction. Dave Winfield came over and
gave me a bid. He's quite experienced.
Probably the most experienced pro I had check this place out (two
different occasions) is George Walton of Alameda Structural. George gave
me 14 pages of typed recommendations!! I have a friend (who I met by
virtue of this newsgroup) whose Berkeley house's foundation was rebuilt
by George and he recommends him highly.
Beyond that, here's a site that should give you much useful information:
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommen...oundation.html
Good luck!
Dan