shan2themax

I am purchasing a home that has a sagging floor (one of its problems). It spans an area approximately 25 feet long, and 6 feet wide. the most prominent area is the full bathroom with the left side where the cabinet is, is about an inch and a half lower. Another half bathroom is behind this room and would be along the short edge of the cabinet. The floor has to be replaced in there do to a roof leak..... my question is... how many jacks would I need to fix this, I know that I would need at least one on either end but would two more be sufficient? and also.... to make new footers for new supports..... is it ok to use quick drying concrete? The house is empty at this point... and only has minor drywall cracks at the beginning and end of the sag.... also. the house has a crawlspace... I would guess that it is 30" tall in the crawl space, but will have more precise measurements later. the most notable area of sagging is around a 35 square foot area near the roof leak.... (In my best opinion, as this is not my field, I am a nurse). I feel that from what I can see, gutters not assembled properly are the major culprit as they are in the vicinity of the outside of the house where this problem is located . any help would be appreciated

glennjanie

Welcome Shan2TheMax:
It would be a good idea to repair the gutter and make sure the ground falls away from the house. Then, under the floor, you may have to add some new joists if the old ones are weakened or rotten; its called sistering the joists. Then two jacks and some 4 X 6 timbers 10 to 12 feet long and several concrete blocks (8x8x16) to hold the timbers once you jack them up. Use a small camp shovel to move away any loose dirt down to undistrubed earth and lay the first block on its side and the others standing up to catch the timbers. Under the house like that the piers will not be subject to much movement; they stay dry and don't freeze.
Let us know how it works out for you.
Glenn

shan2themax

what is the easiest way to grade the ground so the water falls away.... should i build a french drain sort of thing along the foundation, like with some thick plastic under the gravel and then top that off with dirt? (of course making sure that it drains to an area that can handle the runoff)

shan2themax

any ides on these two points????? although I must say, I think that glenns idea was a good one also...... (with the block)

Also, Looking in the bathroom today, I think that maybe it isnt sagging as much as I thought earlier.. i think that the kickplate under the cabinet is actually broken.... but there is a definate sag... I want to take a string and nail it from one end of the center beam to the other to see how much sag there really is from underneath... that would be the best way (at least in my mind) I dont want to crawl under there until after the house appraises though.... (I dont mind the mental work out, but if it doesnt appraise for enough... why the physical workout..... )

glennjanie

Hello Shan:
When I said grade the dirt, I wasn't thinking of anything drastic; just run a pipe on the surface from the gutter downspouts and move a little dirt around for about 3' around the house. You may need to add dirt to make it drain but, even at that, I wouldn't go out and buy a load of dirt; just shake up what you have.
Glenn

shan2themax

I probably should have also stated that the dirt around the cinderblocks is lower than the yard.... so... in that thinking would it be better to build it up?

glennjanie

OK Shan;
Looks like it may be time to buy some dirt, unless you have a high spot you need to shave off. Yes, building up is the only solution here. You know, if you should need drainage around the house, the dirt you dig out to make a drain would fill in the space just fine. Not any deep or squared ditch here, just a gentle "swail" for drainage not much more than cutting the sod off. Make it gentle enough to mow it without having to use the trimmer.
Glenn