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Best way to fix an unlevel deck?

ohiocarpenter | Posted in Construction Techniques on June 23, 2002 10:51am

Chalk another one to Murphy’s Law…

We’re starting a two-story addition on a pole foundation (the original structure is a pole barn), and have come to realize our transit wasn’t properly calibrated. As a result, our floor is now out of level by 3-1/2 inches in 30 feet, front to back. We had to adjust the transit’s vial to level it, and it was level 360 degrees, but it still shot our elevation too high.

Now that we’ve stood the exterior walls on it, we figured out why we couldn’t plumb our front and back walls, and our side walls are square, but not plumb.

Not that you guys would be in this sorry shape, but any ideas as to how to rescue this from the demo pile? And is there any chance that I could get the transit mfr to take some of the expense of this mistake they cost us? It was brand-new for this job, but now I think I should have gone with a water level!

Thanks, guys!

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  1. nigelUsa | Jun 24, 2002 04:34am | #1

    Do you have some pictures? Without seeing it, I would jack up the low side and add PT packing to suit. You should be able to cover the correction detail when you add siding etc. I assume you are at the open framing stage and have not added to much weight yet. I would do this now because if you leave it averything else will be a pig to fit. As to the transit people paying ...... the best you might get is the mail paid and a sorry. I still love and trust the water tube. Let us know how you get on.

    1. ohiocarpenter | Jun 25, 2002 03:04am | #4

      I definitely get your point on the pig part! I was thinking that the easy solution would be to plumb the front and back walls (they're square to the deck, but not plumb). However, this racks the side walls, and that means my openings are no longer square if I do that...and then I got to the stairs, and I don't think I want to know the techniques for figuring risers when the landing is falling away at about 1/8" per foot!

      See my response to Joe where I explain what we're going to do about it.

      Thanks for the suggestion!

      Tim

  2. JCJF | Jun 24, 2002 04:47am | #2

    damn, you laugh at this one but you might want to take the 3.5 in out of the high side and shimm with full 2x4,s to get your second story floor height  right, see I knew you'd laugh.

    THERES NO TIME LIKE QUAILITY TIME
    1. ohiocarpenter | Jun 25, 2002 02:57am | #3

      I had basically the same suggestion today from another carpenter! His idea is to rip the 2x4 to correct the slope and re-deck the whole thing! The only thing I didn't really like is the fact we'll have to let the walls down and get them off the deck to start it over again...

      But I just bought a pair of Proctor wall jacks, and they are so awesome and labor-savers, I don't mind all that much!

      Thanks for the tip!

  3. JCJF | Jun 26, 2002 06:24am | #5

    Great. let me know how it went, and as far as the transit goes send a bill for a days cost . with your lawyers letterhead and a promise to go to small claims court also a warning that you'll publish  their brand name.  very neg. advertising 

    THERES NO TIME LIKE QUALITY TIME
    1. Stray | Jun 28, 2002 05:14pm | #6

      Was there anything in the directions (you know...those little pieces of paper that come with new toys....) for the transit that said "Callibrate transit before use to insure acurate results..."

      Seems to me that it could have gotten slammed during shipping the thing, through no fault of the company.

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