Are the Floors Above Your Crawl Space Showing Signs of Sagging?

If the floors above your crawl space feel a little off or unstable they may be sagging due to lurking problems underneath. If left untreated those problems can get worse over time.

 

Here are some of the most common signs that your floors are not level:

 

o   Your floors may have started to slope, which can possibly create a gap between the floor and your interior walls.

 

o   You have started to notice cracks in your interior walls and gaps around your door frames, which happen when both a wall and the floor sink.

 

o   The doors in your house have started to stick, making them difficult to close.

 

o   Gaps are present inside your crawl space between the columns and girders.

 

o   The moisture in your crawl space has caused the wood inside to rot and the floor joists to deteriorate.

 

 

 

How do these things happen? Here are a few reasons:

 

o   The columns inside your crawl space may have been placed too far apart from each other when your home was built. The beam overhead can become overloaded and start to sag, causing the girders and the floor above to do the same.

o   The floor joists and the girders may have become weakened from moisture being present inside the crawl space, since it has not been sealed off from the earth. They can start to rot or become moldy as a result. That means they are no longer strong enough to support the weight above, causing the floor to sag.

o   The existing columns may have settled due to weak soil. This will create a gap between the top of the column and bottom of the girder it was supporting, therefore causing the floor above to sag.

 

What is one solution to this problem? Easy, our SmartJack System.

 

The SmartJack System features many benefits such as the following:

 

o   It is engineered to be able to support loads up to 60,000 pounds or more. This system can also be installed over problematic soils that are unable to support heavy loads. A two-foot portion of soil gets excavated where each SmartJack will be installed. Afterwards that hole is filled with concrete or an engineered fill to make a stable, load-bearing footing. The custom base is then placed on top of this to keep the SmartJack in place and distribute the load.

o   The installation process is quick. It often takes less than a day and can be done year-round.

o   These support jacks are made of zinc-plated and hot-dip galvanized steel, making them resistant to corrosion and unable to rot or weaken due to moisture.

o   The SmartJack System can be adjusted at any time if your home should need it. At the time of installation, it provides stabilization immediately.

 

If you’re experiencing sagging floors, contact us to see how we can help you!  

We will provide you with a free estimate.