i mentioned a while ago in a post that we had foundation issues and ended it with a picture of a jackpost in a box. well, we needed the jackpost big-time! have a look at the rot at the bottom of this "beam":
that beam was holding up a good portion of load bearing wall between the living room and computer room/study/storage room. it is even LESS supported that the portion of the wall i fixed with lumber and shims. i realized it needed to be addressed immediately!! this was the overall situation - that 4x4 at the back sits on the concrete and is the only stable part of the wall!!
here is the savior/jackpost again:
i needed a concrete footing - good to have scraps handy!!
and here is the jackpost footing - i attached a block of a 2x4 to the metal plate to give some friction and cushion when tightening:
here it is, ready for the post:
here is the post in place before tightening, notice how the beam is waaaay off!!
you want to make sure it is dead-level all around...
before you screw in the plate to the sill and tighten the bolt:
worked so well, i quickly installed one on the other side - i feel a LOT better about the foundation now!!
over the next few weeks i tightened them a bit to compensate for settling until they were rock solid. by early february i was satisfied.
the jackposts are temporary in the sense that i want to replace the entire support system for the floor. but for the time being, we will be able to rely on these posts to keep us "above the water line" for a while.
cheers all!!!
Good work sir. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteno probs! it is a pretty easy project and the jackposts cost about 60 bucks each and are rated to support 8000 ponds. it is a lot of bang for your buck in terms of time and money vs peace of mind and safety.
Deletethanks for stopping by rob!!
What is under that gravel? And how deep? Personally, I would have excavated to verify and given your history of flooding and high water table likely poured a bigger footer and keyed it into the underlying soil to spread out the load and used a post anchor. Other thing I could recommend is next time use Construction Adhesive under that 2 X 4 block to help lock it in. Amazing how strong that stuff is and cheap.
ReplyDeleteAlways fun fixing stuff. Better than sleeping on the cellar floor after it all collapses.
Good work, Jamb.
Winston
uh ... mud ?? ;-)
Deletethis is the "first stage" - eliminate the horror. the two small/half walls i jacked up need to be completely re-done. i will replace the crappy boxes with juniper logs that go straight from the poured concrete to the header. the jackposts will find a new home then - i will get some of the adhesive next time for certain!
i also have to jack up and re-enforce the crawl space under the old half of the manor in about 10 places. that will be fun with a 15" - 24" clearance!!
it IS always fun though and you knwo exactly what i am trying to prevent!! i only have one good leg here ;-)
tnks buddy!
Jambe,
Deletewhen you get to it, using the juniper logs is fine, but do NOT simply set them on the concrete. Put a pad underneath of pressure treated wood, use plenty of adhesive even though you will nail it well and use steel straps.
And if you pour new concrete and use foundation bolts to secure a plate, before you tighten down those bolts, spread plenty of adhesive.
Winston
w:
Deletei hear you - the concrete is all bumpy anyway!
is sounds like the adhesive is advanced duct tape, i will get some to have on hand next trip into town - is there a brand you recommend?
cheers!!!
In my experience all about the same. I usually shop for stuff like that at Home Depot. But where ever.
DeleteWinston
No worries about the bottom rotting either. Well unless the 2x4 piece rots I guess. Nice job!!!
ReplyDeleteno worries there - so long as the sump pump holds out - hahaha!
ReplyDeletea good solution for 6 months - 1 years - thanks for the kudos!
I have about six 4x4s that are holding up half my house and are rotting. So far, no settling. But, I just knew there had to be a name for those things I needed--jack posts! Of course, that won't be my job. Guys/workers tell me my three foot crawl space under the rest of the house is roomy compared to other places they have been. All I think of is spiders!
ReplyDeletethere are shorter jackposts that will be perfect for your crawl space. here is the link to the US home depot website - $30.00 each:
Deletehttp://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100041510&R=100041510
your three foot crawl space would be a dream compared to the crawl space under half our manor LOL!! and yes, lots of spiders ;-)
cheers!
Brilliant idea...well done.
ReplyDeletethanks stephen - it sure worked out well!!
DeleteHey Jambaloney - Clever, very clever indeed ! Are you learning as you go or have you always had natural problem solving skills ? At least the manor is stable and above the water line. Foundation issues are scary. And it never ends because there's always something with home ownership.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Helga :)
thanks Helga!
Deletei learn as i go mostly, the internet helps, being isolated forces DIY in many cases ;-)
foundation issues are scarey, but what the heck - one problem at a time!
cheers!
Good luck with the foundation work!
ReplyDeleteBeen having "fun" with jackposts here too. Our troubles are the need to replace part of one wall between the first and second floors.
Houses with gravel on the floor of basements can be a real nightmare when it comes to moisture problems. My dad bought a small house with a graveled crawl space under it, and found out that he needed to replace all of the floor joists, and some of the floors. Thankfully, a local mill was expanding. They bought his house for a very fair price and demolished it. Don't think his place had a sump pump.
Thanks Mrs. S.
DeleteIt really is an ongoing task... laying down vapor barrier, insulating, pumping, heating, jackposts... but i WILL get the basement and crawl space permanently clear, solid and dry before the year is out!!!
rot is definitely an unseen enemy often until it is too late, sorry your dad had to get the home demolished.
cheers!!
looks good. I think that going slow with structures is a good thing. When I jacked up a corner a couple of years ago you should have heard the place creaking..I thought it was going to fall apart! hehe keep up the good work!
ReplyDeletei dunno if it LOOKS good ;-))
Deletelotsa creaking here too, but i only went up a bit. the crawl space should be a symphony of groans creaks etc.
tnx - hope you are having a great spring egb!!!