Froze down flooded wheel house

[jk23]

Any ideas how to get my wheel house up

[only ice]

Go get some rock salt to put around it!

[David Kasten]

DANG!!! sorry man that really sucks! what lake? might know some people that will give you help if needed.

[David Kasten]

i wonder if a guy could rent a big heater from somewhere and put it on inside the house for several hours

[jk23]

Page lake in stevens county, water up in the floor and froze hard

[Weissguy]

I would heat up the house prior to the upcoming cold snap this weekend. This and rock salt, along with re-drilling your holes if you wont have water gushing up. The water and rock salt(crushed) should work together to melt around the shack.

Good luck

[BlueLundFishrman]

that's sound like a major pain

[Weissguy]

I would heat up the house prior to the upcoming cold snap this weekend. This and rock salt, along with re-drilling your holes if you wont have water gushing up. The water and rock salt(crushed) should work together to melt around the shack.

Good luck

I didn't realize that it was that frozen. I would probably still try to heat the inside. Likely will need a propane tank and a heat wand and try to melt around theperimeter.

[Ed Carlson]

Go get some rock salt to put around it!

Not a bad plan with the warmer weather is add salt and test it often to see when it starts to free up. Get the salt under the floor and out to the frame so it is working in it from both sides. I have drilled partial ice holes (Half ice depth only) on the corners to act as water pits and also to use a handy man jack to put pressure on the frame to get the unit to pop free.

Than raise it up high and block it up high so the slop will refreeze. Or better yet move it and block it up real high on the next spot.

If she is deeply froze and all the floor is too, you will need to chip it free so the salt can get under the frame.

[leech~~]

jk23, I once seen a guy out on the lake blowing holes around his house with a 30.06! Not sure I would do that but it was something to see! He finally cut the house off with a chain saw at the ice line because it was frozen in so bad! Hard to do if you have a wheel house!!

[broman]

Large ice chippers and a blow torch to melt the ice away. Rock salt is interesting, but not sure if the DNR would like you putting that on the ice.

[Sonicrunch]

We're getting a lot of this, this year, aren't we?

[Charlie kempf]

I often wandered what I would do if this happened to me, I agree I would not use any rock salt, as that might undermine your foundation causing it all to go under depends how fast you get at it, besides not good for our enviroment, I would get the ice chipped up around the whole house, try to get under the cornerswith a hole so you can put a jack, high lift jack and start out putting pressure on the frame, or you could get something sturdy under the frame put a block under it take a hefty come along drill two holes run the cable and hook under the ice hook to your ball hitch and start cranking, with that floor frozen down you kinda in a jam, im afraid youll twist it or something, definately get the floor warmed up, I think I would smack the floor try to get the ice to shatter get what you can busted up, I dont think heat will never penetrate through the floor, maybe a guy could build a frame around the perimeter and pull it up with a winch, put pressure on your wheel winches and front jack, I always jack my tongue up first on my wheel house, just some crazy ideas.

[beer batter]

Had to help a friend in this situation earlier this year. Chip out each corner enough to get a hydraulic jack underneath and crank away. You will need to break the ice, you'll never be able melt it away under your house.

If things still won't break free, hook straps anywhere you can and try jerking it free with a pickup. Careful here because pulling the wrong way, or too hard could damage the frame.

There's no easy way around it, although I do like someone's chainsaw suggestion. That would be a good start all the way around the base of the shack.

[MN]

I have heard that you can loop it with a cable and drag it under the house with the truck and cut it out. I have never tried this, but it makes sense...

My dad has used slugs out of a shotgun - I know that it really shatters things - not sure if it can loosen the whole floor fromthe ice. Good luck - let us know how it goes.

MN

[JeffB]

I have succesfully done this once the house had 3" of solid ice in the house. One guy went to work in the house and boke the ice off the floor and aroud the holes with chisel, sledge hammer and a shovel. Man #2 chiseled around the wheels. I went to the back of the house with a chain saw and chisel. First I cut at an angle along the back of the house to make chipping easier. Then chip out enough to get a log chain under the rear of the house. You will need several chains or a really long chain. The next step was to put the middle of the chain under the rear of the house and the two ends along the sides up to the hitch area. Then hook on with truck and start tugging. As the chain pulls under the house it lifts the house, at least it worked perfect for us. Fish house saved no damage done but a lot of work. Good luck

[GRAND DAD]

Couple of years ago one of my big houses frozen in bad. What I had to do I always run a heater that is way over kill. So I took an AXE to the floor busted it all up so the heat can get underneath the house, Cranked the heater way up took the axe to the outside ice around the fish house, chooped 4 holes underneath each corner of the fish house put a jack on each corner and slowly jacked each corner a little trying not to bend the frame, this was a 8x24. Always block your fish house I will never make that mistake again. and this hole time I was working in water up to my shin not fun at all.JelfB am going to have to remember the chain deal.

[eyebjim]

If you can get a day with little or no wind a generator and a karosene ready heater should thaw it out enough along with the salt and some chizeling. good luck.

[TUMBLEWEED]

JK23, no fun man. Lots of good advice so far. A

bud had one go through and re-freeze. They did the

chop out on the inside and max the heat for several hours

thing and were able to get it out of the lake's grasp.

On a lighter note, maybe you should buy a keg and

put up some fliers having a "get JK's house out of

the ice party". You could then just sit back

and supervise the work crew!!!!

[metrojoe]

Best idea I heard yet Tumbleweed.

[Deitz Dittrich]

LOL @ Tumbleweed... Too funn.. everybody can bring tip ups too, and fish while they "Work"...

[red ice]

I know many guys that have done the trick of shooting the ice with a large caliber rifle. They chip around the house to loosen that ice up. Shoot the rifle through the floor to break up the ice underneath. Might have to shoot a couple rounds outside the house too. If you are able to, have a little pressure on your lift system to pop it up when the ice does break up. Never had to do it myself, but it works. I know shooting a rifle into the ice isn't the safest, but it works. Get your earplugs and safety glasses!

[Deitz Dittrich]

PLEASE do not do the gun trick. There is no way thats safe, and could kill someone, some child..

There has to be a better way.

[broman]

No kidding. One miss and you hit some metal or rock and kapow, ricochet.

I was almost in the same boat. A few weeks ago, we had to jack up our house because of the same issues. Not as bad though, water just starting pooling around the house and was up to the bottom of the frame (it was already blocked up and rose a few inches). Hope mine didn't sink anymore in the past couple of weeks.

Take some picks and let everyone know what worked the best when you get it done.

[wayne123]

In the past we have started a few sunflower heaters inside, Drilled around the perimeter with the ice auger (not all the way through the ice of course. Then we went and had lunch and came back and pried the house out.