Sagging Crawl Space Problems
Causes & Repair Solutions For Sinking, Sagging Crawl Spaces
A floor joist shows signs of compression due to the heavy weight of the home -- and too few crawl space supports.
Inadequate crawl space support leads to sinking floors, uneven floors, and damage to your structure.
Crawl space jack posts provide a fast, permanent, warranted solution to this problem. They're a great option for homeowners investing in home repairs.
The Problem:
Your crawl space is experiencing structural problems that are causing it to sink or sag in the middle.
What's Happening:
Crawl spaces experience structural sagging for these three primary reasons:
- Support Columns Spaced Too Far Apart
- Rot-Weakened Joists, Girders, Posts
- Columns Settling Due To Weak Soil/Poor Footings
Telltale Signs:
- Tilting or sinking crawl space supports
- Moist, rotting wood
- Sagging, sloping, or uneven floors upstairs
- Cracks in interior drywall
- Door & window frames skewed and/or unlevel
How to Fix It:
Additional crawl space supports should be installed to ensure that your structure is properly stabilized. Mold and rot should also be addressed by installing a crawl space liner and removing excess moisture from the crawl space.
We can fix your sagging crawl space! Call us for a free foundation wall repair quote today!
We serve Sioux City, Lincoln, Omaha, and many nearby areas in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri.
A moldy, unsupported girder (right) sinks under the weight of a home -- due to an improperly installed crawl space support. If not addressed, could mean significant damage to the home.
Advantages To Our System:
At Thrasher Basement Systems, we recommend installing the SmartJack™ System, which uses adjustable heavy-duty steel crawl space jack posts. These posts install quickly in a home and provide the best solution for restoring stability to your structure.
The SmartJack™ system can be installed in tight conditions, usually in less than a day. Made with galvanized steel for corrosion resistance, it can support vertical loads exceeding 60,000lbs.
The adjustable design of our crawl space jack system means that sagging floors can not only be stabilized; they can also be restored their original position in many cases.
To address the issue of poor supporting soils, each crawl space jack distributes the weight of the home through a precast concrete footing and a base of engineered fill material.
The SmartJack™ is the only solution that addresses problem soils during crawl space restabilization!
Installing the SmartJack™
Installing the SmartJack™ is a fast process that will not disrupt your home or landscaping. During our crawl space repair, your installers will follow these five steps:
Preparing For Installation
Before the installation, a system design specialist will meet with you to design a crawl space support system that will effectively return your home to structural stability. Our specialist will also be able to explain our system and answer any questions you may have about your crawl space repair.
The location for each crawl space support jack will be mapped out for your installers when they arrive, ensuring a proper installation.
At the beginning of the installation, our team of in-house crawl space repair contractors will excavate a 2' square, 2' deep hole at each SmartJack™ location. Each of these holes will be prepared with engineered fill consisting of tightly compacted crushed stone.
Placing the Pre-Cast Footing
A pre-cast concrete base (or footing) is placed on top of the engineered fill and carefully leveled.
The footing serves as a stable base for the steel jack post, keeping it vertical and distributing the weight bearing on the post across a broad area of soil. The engineered fill base underneath the footing provides solid support that won't shift, settle or be affected by soil moisture. Some building codes may require a poured concrete base rather than engineered fill.
By the time the weight is distributed through the pre-cast base and the fill, the bearing stresses have dissipated to approximately 10% of the stresses at the top of the post. This means that even if you have weak supporting soils, you can be assured that the weight of the building will not exceed their bearing capacity.
Cutting the Jack Posts to Length
Once new bases have been installed, measurements are made for the steel crawl space jack posts, and the posts are cut to length.
The steel tube used in each SmartJack™ is manufactured with a triple-layer, in-line galvanized coating. The triple-layer coating process includes :
- A uniform hot-dip zinc galvanizing layer
- An intermediate conversion coating enhances corrosion resistance
- A clear, organic top coating to further enhance appearance and durability.
Additionally, the inside of the pier tube also has a zinc-rich coating.
The remaining steel components of the Smart Jack™ come standard as zinc-plated in accordance with ASTM B633, "Standard Specification for Electrodeposited Coatings of Zinc on Iron and Steel".
Once the SmartJack™ has been installed in your home, you can rest assured that you've invested in a high-quality, permanent solution for your crawl space issue.
Assembling & Tightening
Each crawl space jack post is assembled in your crawl space. The top of the crawl space jack is mounted against the girder, and the installation is carefully plumbed.
In cases where existing girders are undersized or damaged by rot, a new sister girder may be installed alongside the original in order to strengthen and reinforce the structure.
Each SmartJack™ is then tightened in an attempt to lift the floor back to its original position. In many cases, your contractors will be able to straighten and level floors, close cracks in walls, and halt future downward movement. The jacks will continue to be adjustable for future tightening, should you need it.
Encapsulating The Crawl Space
If your wood crawl space joists, girders, and/or supports were damaged by mold, rot, and moisture, then you will want to address these issues to prevent future damage.
The encapsulation process involves sealing all crawl space vents, installing an airtight crawl space door, and lining crawl space walls and floors with a durable plastic liner. This treatment can also include additional drainage measures like installing interior drains and a sump pump.
Encapsulation stops moisture-related damage and associated structural problems that occur when framing members rot and deteriorate. By investing in crawl space encapsulation, you'll also improve overall home energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
Some homeowners and contractors will attempt to use concrete blocks to repair a sagging crawl space, with wooden "shims" wedged in at the top to fill in any empty space.
This kind of installation is a short-term solution that requires constant maintenance and reshimming. And because your concrete columns will continue to sink into the earth below, this solution will ultimately fail.
What NOT To Do
Here are three "fixes" that we at Thrasher Basement Systems do NOT recommend:
Concrete Columns
Crawl space girders or beams are sometimes supported by columns made from concrete blocks. The blocks are typically stacked on a concrete footing and held together with mortar.
Once the column has been built and the mortar has cured, the extra space between the uppermost block and the floor girder above is filled with wooden spacers or "shims".
Because of the wait for the concrete footing and mortar to cure, this is a very slow, time-consuming process.
Since the completed column isn't adjustable, additional shimming will be needed as the concrete column settles or the wood girder shrinks.
Additional Shimming
This is a "cheap fix" solution for repairing a girder and floor that have sagged because of settled concrete columns. Temporary jacks are used to lift the girder, and wooden shims are pushed between the existing column and the floor girder. The jacks are then removed.
This is a short-term fix only - the concrete columns will continue to settle, requiring additional shimming and maintenance in the future.
Light-Duty Jack Posts
Skinny, light-duty jack posts are available at many hardware stores and home centers. This type of adjustable steel post is often installed on top of a concrete block that rests on the ground in the crawl space.
Unfortunately, these posts hold very little weight, have poor stability and are difficult to adjust. Also, they won't compensate for poor supporting soils in the crawl space. This is not the solution you need!
We're YOUR Crawl Space Structural Support Contractors!
If you'd like a permanent solution for your crawl space issues or any other foundation problem, we're ready to help you. We offer free crawl space structural repair quotes to homeowners in the Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri area. To schedule your free, on-site visit and written estimate, call or e-mail us today!
Our service area includes Omaha, Lincoln, Sioux City, and nearby areas such as Bellevue, Council Bluffs, Kearney, Grand Island, Fremont, North Platte, Norfolk.
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