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DougLeary · 09-27-2011, 12:39 AM

But others contemplating a house lift might benefit from my photos. We had our 100-year-old house lifted 3 ft about 8 years ago to convert a crummy low-ceiling basement to nice clean open living space. Our progress slowed due to some medical issues my daughter had. So I can sympathize with people who experience 10-year remodels. Ironically the basement rooms have been done for a while but the rest of the house is still semi-torn up.

If you're interested I have quite a few photos of the preparation, lifting and aftermath on my website Lifting the House

nealtw · 09-27-2011, 05:44 PM

Good luck and let us know how it,s going.

BridgeMan · 09-30-2011, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russstevenson1

Hello Again,

. . . . I do not claim to be an expert. If I was an expert, I wouldn't be seeking advice from this forum. I am a poor man with very limited means and I can't afford to pay a lifter $10k to lift the house. . . . .

. . . .I was told by an architect that the best base for concrete is undisturbed sand. . . . . and make the pads thicker than my original 4". . . . .

. . . .I might talk to the engineer, but I might not. They are very expensive and tend to over engineer things - liability issues, I think.

Thanks Again,
Russell

Just a few thoughts, Russell--

1. Better to be a poor man than a dead man. Please be very careful in this endeavor.

2. Relying on an architect for engineering advice is not a good idea. They are paid to make things pretty, not to make them safe. And a 4" pad is not a pad, it's a sliver, with your jacks likely to punch right through.

3. Every professional engineer is required to take an oath, saying he/she will use their education and experience to safeguard the public, and protect them from all harm. In the vernacular, some of us engineers refer to it as protecting people from themselves.

You don't want to become a statistic for the sake of saving a few dollars. Be very careful out there.

DougLeary · 10-02-2011, 01:20 AM

Russell -- In my house the joists originally rested on 8x8 horizontal timbers spaced about 8 ft apart. So if I were lifting my own house myself (which I definitely would NOT recommend doing except as a last resort) I would probably use somewhat larger beams for safety sake, say 6x12 instead of 8x8. Instead of putting them under the existing cross beams I would permanently install them under the joists, running parallel to the existing beams and spaced about the same. Then I would lift the house by these new beams, spacing the jacks the same as the posts that hold up the existing beams, and I would leave the new beams in place after the lift.

If you plan to alter the post plan, especially if you plan to increase the spacing between the posts, then you should absolutely definitely talk to an engineer or someone who knows how to calculate the proper spacing.

NOTE - I am not a construction professional, and nothing I have said should be taken as advice. It's just me musing about what I would do on my own house, and for all I know could be completely and dangerously wrong.