Sagging Basement Floors & How to Repair the Problem!
How do you know if you have a problem with sagging floors?
Sagging floors present themselves in a variety of different ways:
-Floors that seem bouncy, soft or unlevel
-Sloping floors, often times this can create a gap between the floor and walls.
-Cracks in interior walls and gaps around door frames
-Sticking doors, or doors that had to be planed in order to open and close properly.
-Gaps between existing columns and girders in your crawl space
-Shimming between existing columns and girders (this means that someone unsuccessfully tried to repair the problem before!)
-Evidence of moisture, wood rot, and compression of the floor joists in the crawl space.
Solutions that DON'T work
Some contractors will recommend concrete columns to repair sagging floors in your home. Although concrete seems strong enough to support the beams, it is not. Unfortunately, the concrete columns are not adjustable and will further settle into the soil below your home. This means that additional shimming will be added, making this solution only a temporary one. You already likely had concrete columns that failed, why give the same fix another try when you know it will not work?
Another fix many contractors propose is more shimming. This does not work for the same reasons new concrete columns do not; it is only temporary. Light-duty jack posts have also been used because they are "easy" to do at home. The reason that this is not a proper fix is all in the name. Would you really want your home depending on something that is "light-duty?"
The solution that DOES work
The SmartJack Stabilizer can be installed in your home and will properly and permanently fix your sagging floors. SmartJacks are steel support systems that are used to stabilize and level girders and floor joists in your crawl space. T
hese posts can support over 60,000 lbs, making it anything but light duty! After they are installed, the SmartJacks will immediatly stabilze your home and lift the floors and walls above.
If you want to permanently fix your sagging floors and put your home back on solid ground, schedule your free in-home consultation today!