Foundation & structural / Minden, NV
The Magneson lift, foundation, and exterior rebuild
The Magneson house was settling at the back, its plumbing ran up the outside walls, and the framing had gone soft where water got in. Gary Wake lifted the rear of the house, poured a new foundation, moved the plumbing inside, and added a covered porch and a new garage.
- Project
- 12 of 18
- Category
- Foundation & structural
- Location
- Minden, NV
- Scope highlights
- 6
- Photographs
- 8
Foundation lift & garage addition
Sinking rear walls lifted level, plumbing moved indoors, and a new garage under one roof
The Magneson house had a settling rear foundation, dry-rotted framing, and plumbing pipes strapped to the outside stucco where they froze. Gary Wake lifted the back of the house, poured a new concrete perimeter, framed an attached garage and covered porch, and wrapped the whole home in fresh stucco.
Structural rescue & curb appeal
Fixing what was failing underneath before transforming the outside
A sinking rear foundation, exposed exterior pipes, and rotted wall studs
A cracked, sinking rear foundation. Rotted studs behind peeling stucco. Plumbing vents and pipes running outside the house where they froze and leaked. No real front porch and no garage. The owners wanted it solid and dry first, and then they wanted it to look like a home.
Hydraulic house lift, new concrete perimeter, indoor plumbing, and a new garage
Jacks and cribbing lifted the rear of the house so the failing footings could come out and a reinforced concrete perimeter foundation could go in. Dry-rot framing was cut out and replaced, the plumbing was rerouted inside the walls, and new windows went in. A covered front porch and an attached garage were framed and roofed with the house, and the whole exterior was finished in fresh stucco under a new roof.
What we rebuilt on the Magneson home
6 highlights- 01Rear house lift on jacks and cribbing
- 02New reinforced concrete perimeter foundation
- 03Plumbing and vents rerouted inside the walls
- 04Dry-rot framing replacement and new windows
- 05Covered front porch addition
- 06New attached garage, stucco, and reroof
From exposed rot to finished stucco
See the new garage and stucco exterior, then the foundation and framing repairs
Start with the completed garage, covered porch, and rear elevation, followed by the stripped framing and original settling structure.
Completed rebuild: attached garage, covered porch & fresh stucco
With the house resting on solid concrete and the plumbing inside the walls, a new garage, covered front porch, windows, and roof complete the transformation.
New attached garage & concrete driveway apronRaised-panel steel garage door, smooth stucco walls, and architectural composition shingles 
Level side elevation & low-E windowsClean three-coat stucco and new vinyl windows along the straightened side wall 
Garage, side entry & covered front porchUnified roofline tying the new garage and porch addition into the rebuilt home
Stripping dry rot & lifting the rear foundation
Opening the exterior walls to cut out water-damaged framing, jacking the rear of the house level, and pouring a new reinforced concrete foundation.
Siding stripped to expose rotted framingRear corner opened down to the studs so decayed wood and failing footings could be replaced 
Side addition opened for structural rebuildPreparing the side elevation for new foundation concrete, wall framing, and indoor plumbing
Before we began: sagging rooflines & exterior plumbing pipes
How the house looked before the lift: a settling rear foundation, overgrown entry, and plumbing vents running up the outside stucco.
Original street view & sagging roof edgeThe house prior to adding the attached garage, covered front porch, and new roof 
Exposed plumbing pipes on the rear wallSurface-mounted drain and vent lines strapped outside the stucco before rerouting indoors
More projects
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