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Home Repair The Old House

Warped Wood Floors Due To Support Jacks

Kimberly Terranova

3 years ago

I bought a house in upstate NY that requires a good deal of structural repair. It was built in 1890. At some point someone installed support jacks in the basement and they are pushing up the first floor in several places. I haven't had a chance to release some of the pressure in these, which I will do as soon as I can get up there. But, I was wondering if these humps in the floors are likely to go down on their own? I should note that the joists themselves are being pushed up - so its not just a problem with the flooring and subfloor. The humps are not visible, but they are significant enough that there are several doors that will not open and close because of them. I don't mind floors that are somewhat uneven, so as long as the situation improves I would prefer to keep the original floors.

Featured Answer

Seabornman

3 years ago

Take some pics. Usually it's difficult to level a house, much less go past level. Maybe something else is going on.

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Comments (8)

HU-178658043
3 years ago
The jacks caused a problem when they were intended to fix one. Don't make the same mistake. Get a professional involved and address the underlying problem(s) rather than attacking just the most visible symptom(s).

JM$.02W
Kimberly Terranova thanked HU-178658043
kudzu9
3 years ago
Hard to fully advise from just a verbal description. I agree on getting a professional involved. The warped floors may settle back some when pressure is relieved. It may also be possible to achieve additional flattening afterwards, if needed, by positioning some 2X material under the floors and screwing through it into the bottom of the floors. A professional should be able to tell you if that would help.
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Shrinking wood is nuts - all wood shrinks a bit as the moisture leaves it. Settling over time is normal with any home. Yes, you can jack the floor up from underneath. Some people choose to leave the jacks in place. Others install new joists and remove the jacks. If you do jack the floor up, it needs to be done pretty slowly so that you don't crack the plaster walls above unnecessarily. You may end up with cracking anyway. You could also leave the sagging and call it character. If you don't learn about the process in a fair amount of detail, it's not a job I would recommend you do yourself.
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The column supports in the above picture are not currently approved for permanent structural use in the US. Telescoping 2 piece posts with pins are shown in the above photo and that is not approved for permanent use. The supports must be a minimum of 3" in diameter and secured at the top and bottom and random sized chunks of wood should not be used as shims at the top. Yes there are thousands of homes with the telescoping supports but that doesn't make it right. I built our home 3 years ago and used the correct supports (1 piece w/adjustable end) and they cost about 3 times as much as the temporary posts and had to be special ordered to the correct length...cost and availability is probably why you see the incorrect supports used. Column Supports
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cat_ky
3 years ago
I agree with the above statement 100 percent. Foundation problems and roof problems will be two of the most important things, you can do for your house, before you start to make it pretty.
Kimberly Terranova thanked cat_ky
Kimberly Terranova
Original Author
3 years ago
You are correct. I failed to mention that all the girders/beams that sit on the sill and support the joists have been either entirely, removed, or removed and then replaced in some weird way. There is not a normal system of girders in place under the joists. I realize this needs to be fixed by a professional. I just want to know if it's possible for the joists and wood floors to even out a bit more once all this is fixed.
Stax
3 years ago
Why did you not address/ask about this when you were buying?

Incredible!
Seabornman
3 years ago
I've lived in 2 houses in upstate NY with cut up or rotted floor joists. Looks like you bought my last old house! Have no fear, there's always a solution. You may end up with more jack posts and cross beams, but as long as the sills haven't disintegrated, it can be easily fixed. It may not be level, but it won't feel like a rollercoaster.
Kimberly Terranova thanked Seabornman
Kimberly Terranova
Original Author
3 years ago
I did realize the extent of the structural issues and the price reflects that. I would just prefer to keep the floors so.I can put money into other things.

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