Floating post

[swimmer_spe]

In the basement one of my posts moves. It is a 6x6 timber post. Within 4 feet of it is a steel post on the same beam. This wood post is at the end of the beam, roughly middle of the house.

The fact that it is loose worries me, but also makes me wonder if it is actually needed.

 

[Steve123]

Nobody here has enough information to give you a meaningful answer.

I would guess that one was original and one was added later by a homeowner. So the original builder concluded one post was sufficient. But a later homeowner concluded only the one was not sufficient.

If it is loose, its not doing anything, but I can't tell you if the proper fix is to remove it, or add a shim.

 

[Sparky617]

You'd really need to know which post was first and likely has a footer. I'd probably play it safe and add shims to make it actually supporting the beam or replace it with a steel post tightened up to the point where it is secured and unmovable if bumped. I'd be willing to bet the steel post was added to remove a bounce in the floor and adjusted a bit too high lifting the wooden post off the slab. The wooden post likely has a footer and the metal doesn't. But it could be the other way around with the steel post being original and the wooden post added. As Steve mentioned, it isn't doing anything right now since it is loose. If the beam started to sag it would tighten up the 6x6 connection between the post and the beam and floor and actually stop further sag.

 

[Snoonyb]

Add several shims, for a few pennies, OR, have the loading evaluated by an engineer, FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED $.

 

[swimmer_spe]

You'd really need to know which post was first and likely has a footer. I'd probably play it safe and add shims to make it actually supporting the beam or replace it with a steel post tightened up to the point where it is secured and unmovable if bumped. I'd be willing to bet the steel post was added to remove a bounce in the floor and adjusted a bit too high lifting the wooden post off the slab. The wooden post likely has a footer and the metal doesn't. But it could be the other way around with the steel post being original and the wooden post added. As Steve mentioned, it isn't doing anything right now since it is loose. If the beam started to sag it would tighten up the 6x6 connection between the post and the beam and floor and actually stop further sag.

The wood post is original. It is the same wood as the beam.

 

[swimmer_spe]

Add several shims, for a few pennies, OR, have the loading evaluated by an engineer, FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED $.

I'll probably get an engineer in to look at it eventually. I just found it odd that it moved.

 

[Sparky617]

Since this post appears to be the original, I'd add shims to tighten it up and have it actually support the beam. You don't know what is going on under the metal post with respect to a footer. It might never cause a problem but it could crack the slab, and the load would then drop down to the wooden post. Unless this wooden post is in the way of finishing your basement I'd just firm it up and call it a day.

I've been finishing my basement and my design was largely designed by the wall that was under the main support beam. It worked well. I would have liked to open my stairway up, but decided since I had to have a small wall at the bottom to hide the steel post holding up the beam it wasn't worth the effort. I may need to tell the buyer when we sell about the post so they don't dig into the wall to create an opening only to discover the post.

 

[Steve123]

Is the post always loose, or does it change seasonally ?

 

[swimmer_spe]

Is the post always loose, or does it change seasonally ?

As far as I know, this is the first time the post moved. It may be a seasonally thing. It may be a one time thing. It also may have been like this since we moved in 2 years ago.