I recently bought a 1740is timberframed Colonial resting on a granite block foundation. My problem is the floor and ceiling on one side seem to go downhill 5″ over a span of 20 feet in one area from the center of the house to the outside wall.The previous owner said it’s due to the settling of the foundation over time not rotted sills. I’ve seen on TV and read in magazines that you shouldn’t try to fix the sag and consider it “character”. My question is – why? I mean, will the house collapse or something or is it just all the other work that’s involved once it’s leveled out (plaster ceiling/wall fixes, window and door fixes, foundation work etc..)
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No, it'as actually perfectly ok to level it out; you want to reverse what nature has done, so for the next 260 years, you want to jack the low point up about 0.02 inches per year.!
Actually, the secoind quess is the right one, although if you try to do it too fast you could also introduce structural failure concerns as well.
Once you have a good timberframer confirm that there isn't a sill rot problem, you really have to make a decision. Do you rewrite history and try to correct the "problem" or accept the fact that you are a custodian of history and recognize your obligations.
If you had a modern replica made, no doubt there wouldn't be a 5 inch settle in one corner. Floors would all be level doors would be straight, airconditioning, phones etc. would be well hidden, you'd have modern efficent plumbing. Perhaps that is what you really would prefer to own. If that's the case, please sell that bit of history to someone who will care for it properly.
You realize I hope that your ownership can only be a tiny fraction of it's history. let's hope it's not the final bit of history.
bts -
Here is the reason that you generally do NOT want to fix most conditions like this by jacking. Old timberframes were frequently done with oak, tulip poplar or chestnut floor beams rough hewn to a size of say, 4 x 8 inches or so. It is not uncommon for these floor beams (joists today) to take on a permanent sag, or "set" over time due to long spans. Over time the wood hardens and this "set" should be regarded as permanent unless there are serious structural problems. The issue with jacking is that (in a typical sag-to-center condition) you won't be jacking the center up level with the ends (as you would be with fresh wood) but rather trying to lift the entire curved beam. This has a tendency to destroy both finishes and the frame itself as you lift the beam off its shouldered bearing and snap off trunnels.
That being said, you don't have the 'usual' center sag, but one that goes from the center to one side. The usual route of failure that produces this, if foundation and sills haven't failed, is rotted corner and intermediate posts along the back wall. Before you do much, these should be located and their lower parts reviewed for integrity. Again, in jacking you'll likely be lifting the entire frame - best left to an expert who can determine exactly what has happened. 5" is a LOT of sag and if it is the foundation there would be a lot of cracking and evidence of past problems. Crushing of corner and intermediate posts over time is more insidious and leaves less evidence.
T. Jeffery Clarke
Edited 6/4/2002 9:45:20 AM ET by Jeff Clarke
Thats a problem where if you try to rectify it and it goes wrong you will have to do something else. I leveled up a house with a 3" swale (the center of the house was lower than the exterior walls) It took me 4 weeks to do it.. Just a little at a time. It was however a stick built house.