Hey all, my new of 5 months landlord is insisting on redoing my flooring and is insisting I must take down my 8 years in the making, MRR..There are some broken or missing tiles on the slab floor that the 7-8 , 2x3" 48" legs stand on supporting my 35 foot long open grid benchwork..He knows it will devastate me to do this..The tiles (which don't bother me) could easily be replaced. all I'd have to do is remove each leg as tiler gets to that square, hold bench and put leg back after he puts in that tile..Rear of layout is supported by about 4-5 long wood screws into the studs..But what he wants to do , I believe now is to remove ALL tiles in livrm. and kitch. and have cement floor grinded and buffed..He did this on his side (duplex, he right next door) and I actually like that techy look. I saw them doing it and boy ,what a major, dust ridden toxic job that was !! But, as it would mean destruction of my HO, DCC ,standard guage, switchback branch line I DON"T WANT TO HAVE IT DONE !! Layout is about 10 inches from front window/wall (shelflike) about 6' long, runs (literally) north to corner. Bench makes a 90 Deg. turn and runs east about 25' along north wall ,widening out in kitchen to about 5.5' where some track loop and grades over /under are..with track making its way on highest level to summit back in living room; point to point...I don't have to tell you guys what this takes to accomplish, all the planning, building, track designing/laying, soldering, screwing, gluing, materials and rolling stock/loco buying, wiring, frog powering, and am finally approaching ballasting and scenicing point....I'm dealing with Consumer Affairs Dept. over this...Let's face it, what makes this project any different than say, book shelves or some other form of home-built bench work ? It's not even breaking any building codes..I'm so worried and spent over all this right now. Wish me luck, huh !!.. Mark
Since you live in a renting situation, I assume (and hope) you built the layout modular style or some form of benchwork being able to disassemble without a sawzall? Without haven't seen the layout or track plan, this may be an opportunity to redesign a few areas if you had any issues. if there are sections that run along the wall, you may be able to rig up an alternative leg system (temporary) by getting legs at 45 degree angles from the outside of the layout back to the wall and into the studs instead of straight down to the floor. If they are going to grind and buff the floor then obviously the layout will need to be wrapped up in several layers of trash bags or other plastic sheets and sealed up with duct tape. At least that is what I would do.
After reading your post again. It sounds a large part of your layout is like a shelf layout. What would be the possibility of installing metal shelf brackets and getting rid of the legs on at least a portion of the layout?
Do you have a lease? It sound like his plans would make your apartment uninhabitable for a while. In many states, he would be required to pay for alternate housing for you, and for any expenses involved in moving you and your possessions in and out. More directly, though, I'm thinking that he wants you to leave so he can renovate the place and then rent it for a much higher rate.
The mgr of an apartment complex I lived in years ago refused to let me resign a new lease because of my modeling hobby. Her reason was that the paints are hazardous and that she didn't want anyone living there that would make an unsafe enviroment for her other tennants.
Hello Mark, I'm a construction person, and there are solutions to you problem. The benchwork can be braces or support from the sides with a little expense of framing wood only. i didn't understand the entire dimension, but I know it can be done, because I know how to do it. I did it before to replace main supporting beams on finished homes. contact me back here, I'll be happy to help you.
Thanks for all the kind responces..Yes, I suppose I could rid about half the legs of the layout and add angle brackets if it will save it. This portion (about half of layout ) is seperated by a 15" gap in framing where a wide river bed is to go and 2 RR bridges over it. Rest of road into kitchen east of riverbed becomes alot wider and heavier to about five and a half feet on several legs. Removal/destruction of this really scares me. Alot of difficult track in here with engine house track ,switches, ground throws (many powered now to frogs), a 5' long spur along back wall going over a small bridge to a just-powered switch splitting into 2 industry tracks. This is the meat and potatoes of the project. I did leave out in the above that I recently added a peninsula in living room where main line has made its way back over river to and is final end of line with a 1.5' aisle way between it and other end of line of the point to point road..So even if I were to add angle irons to prior I believe I would have to now remove the newly added peninsula which luckily has no track or anything yet; just ply and frame, about 8" higher than track along picture window seperated by aisleway. 'retiro' (above) I just may take you up on the offer if landlord won't budge..Am I correct in that you have a way to suspend the benchwork so as to not have it interfere with flooring work ? Problem is though, landlord is insisting it ALL be removed as is only way they can do the work...I'm trying, through L.A. Housing Dept. and Cosumer Affairs Dept. to get their blessing that he can not force me to destroy my artwork/self expression/hobby/labor of love. Its not a code violation and there is no urgency to do this work nor do I, the tenant ,want it..He claims there is asbestos present in the tile mastik which is unhealthy. But, as I said, LAHD has dwelling listed as having zero violations..In fact I was home when city made the tour through my apartment and inspector never even flinched at the layout..not a one ... Will certainly keep you posted...Thanks again, Mark
Mark, how long have you been in the apartment? If this landlord is the one you originally rented from, he should have know about & removed any asbestos tile BEFORE allowing you to move in. I know state building codes are different, but asbestos, being a hazardous material, should come under Federal guidelines, meaning that since the tile is in a living area, it should have already been removed. Also, since it is a hazardous material, you and your landlord may not have a choice, the fed & state may be forcing him to remove it. Alan
I'd say that one approach might be to try to communicate directly with the contractor involved. He probably gave a price to the landlord that doesn't have any additioanl margin for 'working around' anything; i.e. hands and knees handwork, etc., under a layout. But if you were dealing directly with the contractor, he may be willing to work around it, if you can wrap it in plastic, get things out of the way as best you can, and be willing to agree to his extra costs for working around it. Just sayin'. If you look at his costs of slower/additional work vs. your heartache of demolition, it may be worth it to you. I don't think you're going to get anywhere by fighting the floor replacement itself. if it doesn't cost the landlord more, if he won't agree to that, then the message is pretty clear, he wants you out anyway and you may as well prep the layout for leaving, its only a matter of time before he finds a way. I took this approach on a grand scale with a state highway contractor once way too close to my first house. By the time he was done and we 'worked it out' he accidentally 'misread the plans' and the wider road was 10' further to the west than it should have been. Oops. But it saved my property value, and cost me way less than moving. I got absolutely nowhere with the department of transportation, but the contractor? Money talks. I built my first N layout to 3x6 and discovered I couldn't get it out of the room and around the hall after I built it. Had to demolish it after it had been in RMC. Next layout was built modularly and free-standing, and it's been in three houses since.
Don't let him B.S. you on the asbestos issue. If there is asbestos in the mastic, it is under the tile and therefore encapsulated and not a health issue. There is only a small ammount in the mastic anyway, and it is not possible for this type of asbestos to become airborne. But it kinda sounds like you may be better off finding a new place anyway. Looks like he is trying to get you to leave........Mike
How are things working out for you? I agree with the others who have stated that it sounds like the landlord wants to make it difficult for you. I hope you are getting some legal advice
Nobody should be removing asbestos tile while someone is trying to live in an apartment unit, period. Asbestos is not radioactive - it's not slowly killing you just by being there. If it's not being torn up or turned into dust you should be fine. I would check your rental contract and also check on the landlord-tenant laws in your state. This may not be legal. You should not be obligated to up-end your entire life for the temporary expedience of a contractor hired by your landlord.
Asbestos is not a problem if it is sealed, however, you menitioned broken/missing tiles. This means that the mastic is exposed and therefore a health issue is created. Removal is very messy and requires specailized suits/breathing apparatus and all debris must be bagged and sealed. Since they plan to sand/buff the floors, the whole place could be covered in asbestos dust. I wouldn't want any of my stuff in there, so I would move completely out if you are forced to do so as fine dust can get everywhere. Liability rules for the contractor probably would require a clean space. Work like this is usually done between tenant rentals so either your landlord is being forced to do it by the city (this is easily verifiable) or he is upgrading it so he can sell the whole structure. Peter
Hi guys, I meant to get back about it all. Alan (above): No, he is the 3rd landlord. I am already in 17 years now..As of today we talked allot after 2 flooring contractors gave him bids. He is very adament that RR is in way of flooring/retiling jobs. But I DID get him to at least agree to ask removers of old flooring ( not same as new flooring guys) if they could do this work ( remove old asphalt tile which has asbestos in old glue but deemed unharmful, by city inspection) if they can perform work with MRR remaining...I bet it comes out "no", huh ? I explained today to landlord that there is a way to suspend frame and temporarily remove legs for this but he's not really thrilled with the idea. I am in communicato with a Tboard member who knows how to do this..Well, there's, luckily, no scenery or ballest (I was just going to tackle this soon). So I suppose it's not the end of my 1:1 world if It came down..so many of you have talked about having removed RRs and built new ones. I know I can save frame which is the footprint of the 1:87 realstate , get the new flooring and paint job He also wants to do same time, survive it all, put back frame and rebuild the line..,huh ?
Thanks Mike. You're right on the $ !..But since I'd years ago pulled out an old wall to wall carpet, I have broken and missing tiles around borders. He wins here, as black mastik is exposed, he lives right next door (dang!) and says he worries over it...I tried like hell to convince him there's no danger just the fact that I've lived with it this way several years now, to boot, and I'm not getting sickly..But he won't just let it go !! He's a young, new to landlording, kind of clean freak , health nut, racing bike dude...I showed him all the ground throw wiring and how delicate and time consuming it all is , all the geomertry MRRing involves..But, folks outside this love we have just don't get it or don't care..Well, unless I default on rent or some other technicality he can't ever evict me as I'm over 62, am there over 10 years, and it's in rent control..plus a personal health condition I have..Those 4 things make me immune. So, once all the smoke clears from it all, I will rebuild bigger and better !! Frame will go back up and new sub-roadbed if needed..Maybe more of it than I think will be salvaged ,like largest curves, triangular 2 stall engine house area, 10" wide shelflike area where interchange is...Maybe so , maybe not....I will survive !!! Opps, sorry. I think this should have gone in Peter's post, not Mike's
Peter, thanks..Probably closer to the 2nd concept..But city is not forcing him..Please read my reply to 'Mike' in this thread. All else you cite is exactly the issues this moment...probably will have to dismantle this non-modular road..And ironically, when I was in N fifteen years ago I was a member of the Belmont Shore MRRC which founded Ntrak !! Probably should have built my HO RR modularly as apartment dwelling is mighty tricky, residency wise !! But I wanted what I prefer, a perminant type...never really took to the modualar world ...I'm old school but now DCC....
Peter I replied to you but accidentally entered it into Mike's post !! So my reply to you is there in a 'reply with quote' reading 'Mike'... Wow, am I confused now !! It's been that kind of day , ya know ? !
Sounds like he has watched too many of those home improvement shows that really make a huge deal over a little asbestos..:startled:.LOL If he watched a few more shows, I bet he could come up with a way to do a poured floor over top of the old tiles. Well at least you get a chance for a "do over" if you have anything thats bothering you .....Mike
I had to tear out a layout out of bedroom, finished scenery and down the framework and used it to rebuild a new layout in the garage. The new effort was better the last, so you might be without one for a bit, but you can rebuild it and be just or more satisfied. Sometimes we need things like this to change things up - besides i bet there's some things that you wish were done differently. When you rebuild it, build it in carryable bolt-together sections, bolted on back drop frames, bolt on legs. Sectional is different than modular. Then run the roadbed/track right over the joints, so if you have to move then you only need to cut the track /wiring at the joints and slice through the scenery. Then all of this can be patched back together again quickly. The above layout of mine has been moved 3 times since with little setup time, while friends who built a permanent type got to heave it into the dumpster many times - a little time spent at the beginnings pays big dividends at the end. Peter
