I need to lift a cottage to level it and to get one end off of the ground. It is 24 X 32 and has an addition about 8 X 16 on the lower end. Single story wood frame construction. The lower end has the wooden sill sitting on the ground and it is rotting. The higher end is about 3′ off the ground. I need to lift the whole thing about 6 inches to a foot. My thought is to slide 26′-28′ beams across under the building and jack from the outer ends. I am assuming that 3 beams under the main building would be enough and that I would need shorter beams under the addition. My concern is that the location makes it relatively difficult to haul in steel beams or solid wooden beams. Do you think that I can laminate beams in place from 2X material and if so, how big do they need to be. I assume bolting the beams together would be better than just nailing. Anyone done this sort of thing?
Randy
Replies
Your beams need to be perpendicular to the direction of the joists so the load is distributed, so that fact drives the decision on which way to put the beams under your house proper and its addition.
Two beams were used to move my 35 x 42 house onto its foundation. Each was supported by two cribs at thirds across the basement slab and one on the outside of the foundation, the short way, and each was made of (20) 2 x12s; i'm not sure how the 2 x 12s were fastened together, but i assume nails and glue, since i saw no bolts. I had a house mover do the setting of the thing, which is what i recommend if you can get one to do it. They have the manifolded pneumatic jacks (if you're fortunate), the beams, the blocks...the expensive insurance...and this would be no big deal for them.
You can also gently raise a building a bit at a time by using lots more cribs and jacking up a little at one crib, shimming, repeat as necessary. I've done this, but it's not for the faint of heart working under a creaking house unfastened from the ground. You also get more cracking in my experience than you do raising a house all at once.
Edited 6/22/2004 1:43 pm ET by SPLINTIE
You didn't say much about the type of construction... Is the house on piers or a perimeter foundation? You said the house needed leveling as well as raising. It sounds like something I run into quite a bit here in sandy Florida.
If the structure has something like 4 x 8" sills with joists setting on them, like most older frame houses... You can jack it up a little at a time using a few 20 ton bottle jacks under the sills. I had a few pieces of 4" x 24" steel channel iron cut for jacking plates. I use 4 foot sections of "crosstie" to put the jacks on.
If you only raise each point about an inch, shim the piers then move on to another place to jack; I've found I have no more cracking of the walls than when a house is placed on a couple of large beams like you suggested. Some interior wall damage is inevitable however you do it.
Of course, you can level it at the same time. The best way I've found is probably the oldest: Use a water level. The kind you attach to each end of a garden hose. I like to make a couple two foot stands and attach each end to the uprights. You can then move the "stand" anywhere in the house and check level against the other end.
Like the first post said... this is not for the feint of heart. Houses complain loudly when you start jacking on them. Crawling under one to jack a center beam is downright spooky... not everyone can do it. Natch... there is no substitute for experience. If you have any doubts... hire a pro.
Good luck.
There was a recent thread on this. You should find & read it. Some great advice. Especially the part about getting someone who does this for a living. Jacking a house is something you only get one shot at - make a mistake & it becomes a disaster. Concept is simple enough. The Devil is in the details of how you apply the concept.
Don
Lifting
Hi I just finished reading your post and I am about to lift my cottage and it's the same size as your and I was wondering how you made out with your. Also any tips would be great to.