In downtown Omaha, there are a lot of historic buildings. Located on an old stockyard site, there is a building that was constructed in 1911. It had been used as a parts depot for many years; including parts for World War II-era Jeeps. The owners of the building have converted some of it into a commercial laundry equipment distribution facility, but there was a section with sagging floors that really couldn’t be used effectively.
Some research on the internet led them to one of our contractors. This particular lift was a little tricky because the concrete literally had a belly, or sag, down the center. The owner’s idea was to create an office space with partitions/cubicles for small businesses. However, the current floor condition would have everyone’s office chair rolling to the center of the building. Not good! How would the floor react as they tried to bring it up a couple of inches? I was onsite as a consultant to help them find out!
We gave ourselves a reward to shoot for if the lift was successful; a big slab of Omaha prime rib. With that as motivation, we slowly worked our way across the floor and back. Using zip levels, dial indicators, and instinct developed from other jobs, we gradually brought the old floor back into tolerance. The product we selected for this project was AP Lift 430 and it worked beautifully. The MixMaster Pro injection gun performed as advertised and allowed for an efficient installation of the lifting foam. Although we had to drill multiple holes for the targeted injections, we only used three total injection ports.
Now the final touches are being added to this soon-to-be office space. The owners will have multiple tenants paying rent and a once unusable space as a revenue-generating property. If you’re a property owner with a similar issue, call us to get hooked up with a contractor who can help. If you’re a contractor, keep your eyes peeled for similar opportunities. They are all over the place. Now, about that prime rib…