Lifting homes to repair foundation is fairly easy and simple with the proper hydraulic jack equipment.
A collapsing foundation, while nerve wracking, is not fatal to the house. Water and frost damage are common causes, as are rotting wood supports. The basic methods of jacking up a house foundation are similar in their purpose but very different in their methods. The condition of the deeper soil around the house is the main issue. The firmer the soil, the easier the job will be. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Dig underneath the foundation. If you have a slab-on-grade foundation, this is very easy. Larger basements require deep digging. The ultimate goal here is to expose the very bottom of the foundation. You will be digging in the area that is sagging, and the trench that exposes the underside of the foundation will be as long as that length of the house that is sagging. The trench, under most circumstances, should be wide and deep enough for you to stand in. Actually standing level with the foundation makes the job much easier. Most professional foundation firms normally clear a large trench that can fit several workers and equipment. Err on the side of a larger trench if you are unsure.
2. Use a motorized jack to dig itself deep into the ground. Most firms specializing in leveling foundations use hydraulic jacks that push themselves deep underground. The point here is to find those deep parts of the soil that are tightly compressed or rocky. This becomes the new base for the foundation support.
3. Latch the jack to those parts of the home that are sagging. The jack design usually makes this very clear and easy to see. You will need as many jacks as there are parts of the foundation that are damaged. How many are required per foot of collapsing foundation length differs with different jack types. Usually, except for very large houses, two or three are more than sufficient. The jack then stays in place.
4. Fill the open spaces with concrete or blocks. As the house is raised to its proper level, then you can begin rebuilding the foundation. If the soil is stable, then you can use fill concrete to add mass where the house is lifted. If those spots are properly filled in, then the house will remain stable on that new fill material.
5. Use piles or spikes to maintain the foundation in its proper position. At least for the time being, piles are used to fill that same space. If you are not going to use concrete, different kinds of piles or pillars are used to keep the foundation stable while any work is being done. These are load tested for immense weights, so the size of the house is not a problem. It is best to err here on the side of too many piles. The piles or pillars will be directly placed into the soil or bedrock. Pouring a concrete layer underneath for the pillars to rest upon is also a good idea. If you have stable soil, then the pillars will be sufficient.
Tags: that sagging, collapsing foundation, foundation will, piles pillars, pillars will
