Hello everyone! I've joined in search of help on my latest project. My grand father gave me his first house about a month ago, and since then I've completely gutted and remodeled the kitchen, replaced the living room floor, fixed leaks in the roof, and a few other odds and ends. But here, I'm stumped. This house had a tree limb fall on it about 6 years ago due to tornado winds. I knew the roof took damage on one room, but I didn't know it was so bad. The floor joists were completely gone due to rot. The tree pushed the blocks that the sill plates were sitting on under the ground, so this entire room has no sill plated. I'm trying to find a way to elevate the room enough to level it back up, and add new sill plates and one new wall, the other two are fine other than a few boards.

First glance


Gutted




The question is, how can I get the walls up off of the ground? I've tried a few jacks to the roof joists, but all that did was actually lift the roof up off of the walls. I can't nail to anything either, it's all too rotten.

 

Welcome to the forums!! I know it was your grandfather's house. This is just one room. It appears to not have a foundation, so it's days are numbered anyway. Even if you could lift it, what would you sit it on?? As you stated, you can't drive nails due to rot. Maybe it is time to stand back, look at what can be done by removing the room, installing a proper footing and foundation and rebuilding it with good solid materials. It will enhance what you have obviously spent a lot of time and money doing. By trying to salvage it, you may do more harm than good to the entire structure. Get us a couple of outside pix as well so we can see what you see.

 

It will also be helpful to tell us what part of the country you are at

If one room has no foundation how about the rest of the house?

 

I live in northeast Georgia. I will get exterior photos today for you. The house is really old. I mean, it's so old that it's pretty much sill plates and joists sitting on blocks. No solid foundation.

 

It all depends what you want to do and the available time and $$$ but to my opinion its no a good idea to have a house just sitting on blocks. In your area you have heavy rains and tornados and spending your money to renovate such a house it’s risky. I would rather spend my money to get proper foundations and provide proper drainage around the house and later start to work on the inside of the house.

If this house is going to be used as a temporary shelter, than its ok to spend some $$ to make it more comfy. The other question is if this house is worth saving it. Perhaps it may be less expensive to tear it down and start from scratch.

If the house is worth saving it, lifting a house is not that difficult if you have the proper equipment but it can be expensive. After the house is lifted I know of two options available for the foundations. You may have a combined slab and foundation poured over 6” or more of compacted gravel or you may get an independent concrete floor slab and foundation wall. There may be more or better foundation options in your area.

 

Fanatic, what part of heaven are you located? East or west of the AT? We'll wait on the pix, but kolias is right about the foundation.

 

Chandler, I'm in North east Georgia, about 15 minutes form Anderson Sc. I supported the roof, and removed the wall. Turns out, the roof had no support form that wall in the first place. I literally shoved that wall down with my hands.




Roof


Corner post




Need to raise the front wall a tad bit on the end



The lack of foundation

 

I'm over in Young Harris, in the mountains. I don't really see a positive end to this room. Everywhere you turn you are faced with additional downsides. Whatever you do, don't crawl under this albatross. The support is unacceptable. In all honesty, removing the room, doing a proper footer, foundation and new room will be cheaper and safer.