QUOTE (tcnelson @ Sep 6 2008, 10:38 PM) I am in the position to purchase a 850 sq.ft. house that appears to have a good foundation around the outside walls, but the floor is sloping inside towards one low spot. It has no basement, just a very small crawl space under one end of the house As I look across under the floor joists, I can see that the beam under the floor joists is sitting on a block of wood that is sitting on the dirt underneath. How the heck do I get under there without lifting up the entire house?It is priced very low, but is an old house.
Hi
The first step is to buy a 6ft level,circlar saw,screws,3 2/10’s screwed together,2 or 3 pump jacks,2or 3 patio stones,3bags of lime stone & some willing friends. You start by using the level to determine the worst spot, I many cases the sub-floor has to be cut out. Cut the subfloor out 4ft by 8ft, this is the size of a standard sheet of plywood. This also allows you to lower your materials down.
1. Level ground add lime stone & place patio stones on top, place stones no more than 10ft apart. Your new beam the 2 by 10s must run the opposite way of your existing joists.
2. Place your jacks on each patio stone & place your new beam on the jacks
3. Ok here’s the fun part, if you don’t want to fix door jams & buckled plaster listen up. Go very slow ; get some friends on each jack & jack it up slowly. You will hear some crazy noises; keep going until the old joists are level.
4. --/sizeo-->Now your floor is level you and your friend are patting each other on the back, were not done you have to brace beside the jacks. You can leave the jacks in place, but you must run 4 by 4`s down on either side of the 2by 10`s on top of the patio stones. Use Carage bolts with washers. The Carage bolts will go though the 1 4by 4 than the 3 2by 10`s than the other 4by 4, with the washer and bolt on the end. Stager the bolts so you can tighten the nuts.5. Than install the new plywood with construction glue & Screws
If you live in Ontario, the cheapest place to buy the jacks & level is Princess Auto. Buy your bolts & lumber from Home Depot & the patio stones & lime stone from a landscaping store
Hope this helps e-mail me if you have any question.
Sincerely Ian Szabo PLP Contracting AKA The CHUBBY CONTRACTOR
