When house floors sag, there are many problems that can result. Floor cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom will no longer work properly, entry doors will no longer open and close properly, and walking across those floors will feel like a roller coaster ride. Repairing uneven floors can be done by the average homeowner who is willing to get dirty. Depending on the size of the project, it can be done in less than a day. Does this Spark an idea?
Tools
You will need several items to aid in the leveling of a sagging floor. The most important thing, although not a tool, is to have a helper. You will also need a 1/2-ton floor jack for raising the floor, a ball of nylon string for checking the floor adjustment and a line level to check the floor for level. Other items that will be helpful are : 8-inch concrete blocks for supporting the floor from underneath (four to eight blocks), 2-by-6-inch wood cut 16 inches long to go on top of the blocks and under the jack, wooden shims-- which can be cut from 2-by-6-in lumber or purchased at the hardware store--and a shovel for leveling the ground underneath the house.
Inspect
Check the high spots in the floor. You can use these high spots as reference for the rest of the floor. Using a nail, attach a nylon string from one side of the floor, at the wall, to the other side of the floor, at the opposite wall. Now you will have a good reference line for leveling the rest of the floor.
Prepare to Raise the Floor
Crawl under the house and find the center of the floor that you are leveling. You will need a minimum of a 1/2-ton floor jack to level the floor. Jack the floor from the closet floor joist to the center of the room, which may be 24 inches to the right or the left of the floor. Use a wooden 2-by-6 to set the jack on. Also use at least one 2-by-6 block for the top of the jack. Use 8-inch concrete blocks on each side of the jack and ready them for floor support. The floor height will be determined once you raise the floor. Also have some extra 2-by-6 blocking ready to go on top of the 8-inch blocks once the floor height is determined.
Block Placement
Jack the floor up while a helper is inside. Have the helper yell when the floor has leveled out inside. Once the floor has become level, set the 8-inch concrete blocks about 4-feet apart, one on each side of the jack. It may be necessary to stack the blocks--and add the wooden 2-by-6 boards (usually 16-inches long). Once you have closed the space between the wooden blocks and the bottom of the floor joist to less than 1 inch, use wooden shims to tighten the support.
Tags: 8-inch concrete, 8-inch concrete blocks, concrete blocks, 2-ton floor, 2-ton floor jack, each side, each side jack