Raise and support floor in old house


  #1  
Old 05-15-03, 09:06 AM
ddysart1
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Raise and support floor in old house

We are buying an old (turn of the century) farmhouse. The floor sags in the middle of the house. I haven't put a level to it, but would guess that the floor is 4-6 inches lower in the center of the house than it is around the outside edges. Underneath is a short crawlspace (about 1-2 feet). There is a pile of rocks, that supports the middle of the house.

What would be the process of raising the center up? How much trouble is the average do-it-yourselfer asking for when tackling this project?

The house is 25' wide and 30' deep. The rock pile runs almost exactly down the middle of the house and has no mortar holding it together. There isn't a lot of room to work in the tight quarters.

Let me know if I need to supply any additional info. Thanks!
 
  #2  
Old 05-16-03, 03:46 PM
T
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2' is not enough to work from underneath the house. You'll probably have to rip some of the floor out and work from above, first building a work platform and some wood, then slowly lifting the floor up on both sides of the center, then, when level, tearing down the old wall, poring some footers, some engineered lumber or I-beams, and some adjustable floor jacks. You're basically replacing the center column of the house. I assume you don't have a 2nd story... otherwise you'll have a lot of weight to lift. You may want to contract somebody out to do this, it requires a fair amount of specialized equipment.
 
 

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