How can I repair a floor joist beneath a support post?
There is a support post that was installed in the house after a shoddy remodel job and it was placed directly on the floor to hold up a beam supporting part of the second story floor joists. The floor joist below this post has split. Now there is an indention in the floor. The drill bit is 6 inches away from the post center.
The post is sitting on the ground floor, directly over the split floor joist. I have managed to lift the overhead beam up enough to remove the post by using a 2x4 I-beam and my scissor jack.
I removed the block it was sitting on, which measured 3 1/2 inches. That's 3 1/2 inches of downward floor deflection I need to remedy, as well as sister a new floor joist and add blocking underneath.
The problem I'm facing is: When I use the I-beam structure, it still deflects downward, meaning I can't lift up on the floor from underneath. Is there some other way I can support the second story floor joists in order to make this repair?
Comments (7)
PROJoseph Corlett, LLC
3 years ago
PROGN Builders L.L.C
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Deck Joist Sag - replace or repair?
Comments (3)How could some joists be 3/4" below the others? That's a big difference. 1) Should I sister up a new joist next to the bowed joists? And if I do, will the load make the current joist sag more? That could work. Set the new joist with the crown up, clamp them together (flush on top) and bolt or screw them together. 2) Should I flip it and plane what would now be a crown? no 3) Should I just replace the sagging joists? (Hard for me to do since I can not transport 16' joists) That could work...crown up. If you can't transport new joists, how can you get sister joists for solution #1) 4) since you have a beam in the middle (not really the middle), you can shim up the low joists. FIRST... I would run strings/blocks along the top of the outer joists...front to back, to make sure they are straight. I also run strings along the sides of the 2 outer joists and straighten them. Use nylon string. Make 7 identical small blocks of wood, put 1 block between string and joist top at each end of the string lines. Use the 7th block as your gauge. It should just fit between string and joist top...everywhere. I would run 3 tight string lines across all of the joists...one on each end, and 1 in the middle. Tweak the joists by shimming/planing until that block fits right. When you're done with the strings, your deck will be flat. Not necessarily level, but flat, and that's what you need to achieve. steve...See MoreToilet drain line through floor joists? (x-post)
Comments (10)There is not a current toilet in the space. Here is my proposed layout: From GWfloorplans The dotted line running E-W between the Master and the hall bath is a beam supporting the floors--used to be an exterior wall downstairs. The only place for a down drain is along the exterior wall (W wall) of the proposed hall bath--at the end near the drawn hall bath toilet (not at the end near the Master bath Toilet. The joists run N-S in this area. The circled S is the location of the current stack for the house/downstairs bath. In this plan, I think the hall bath vanities can be drained to either the toilet lines and W, or to the old stack. The Master bath sinks and shower would require a much smaller down line (what are those called, anyway?), and could more easily be dropped down the W wall again. (under all this space is an open great room)....See MoreSheet rock repair found termite damge - how can I repair this?
Comments (4)I posted in a bit of a state of panic. Sorry. The damaged area is directly under a window that held an ancient air conditioner for years. It's a small area between the window and the top of a built-in radiator. The area was damp and another forum suggested that it is carpenter ant damage as they like wet areas. I've seen one or two of them here over the years, but I think they are pretty much gone. It was suggested I put down boric acid, stuff it with insulation and go ahead and put the sheet rock repair back up. (and probably pray for the rest of the house, but I can't do anything about that.) Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures - right side up, it's a long thin area...See MoreRim Joist and floor joists rot (pic heavy).
Comments (6)I would be concerned how much the floor is out of level and if that has compromised the operation of any doors. You might need to take the load off of the framing in order to repair/replace the damaged portions. It is wise to use Grace water based primer (WB Primer) behind any Vycor adhered directly to sheathing (especially OSB) if you don't want water to get behind it. Unfortunately, it is usually sold in 5 gallon containers. Tyvek HomeWrap is pretty watertight (unlike most other housewraps) but it is not very abrasion resistant so I would not use it or any vinyl product as flashing. Avoid the use of unfinished aluminum sheet flashing against pressure treated wood or anywhere else where it will be in constant contact with water....See More
mainenell
3 years agoSJ McCarthy
3 years agoKevin
3 years agoI was able to get it fixed without a lot of extra work. I appreciate all the responses, so thank you very much for that.
As far as what I did: My son stayed above while I crawled under the house. I used a bottle jack beneath the broken floor joist (it's 2x4, believe it or not) I will be beefing it up with sister joists. Anyway, as I jacked up the floor, my son lowered the jack upstairs. I was able to get a new 2x4 sistered against the original one and placed a block and post to support it.
Since then, I have replaced the original post with a 4x4 post, and built a wall off of that. The floor deflection is gone.
The wall spans almost 4 feet along the side of the stairs. The joist below the floor is supported in the middle (under the original post) and 2 1/2 feet on either side by a girder beam.
Seabornman
3 years ago
Joseph Corlett, LLC