I had to replace some load bearing posts on the back on my beach house. The posts were 8' 3" long. I have an hydraulic jack and when I saw this video I thought, cook, I can do that! So I used this jack and a 6' 4x4 post to lift the house up - - just a couple inches, but enough to put the new post (actually 2) in place, and then 'lower' the jack to 'lock' the posts into place. Very very cool. You guys saved me a ton of expense, and the results were amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I have an old house like this. The previous owner jacked it all at once and broke the main tree beam. Housing inspector missed it and now I have to deal with it. If you could please break that beam in your house so I can watch the repair video 😁
LOL, No matter how much I would like to help you with that I think I might have to decline on your offer. Call a structural engineer for advice. Cheers!
LifeOutdoors 2day SAME! I have two broken trees in my basement from the same dang problem. We gotta catch that guy and make him repair what he did to our places. 😂
Be glad the windows didn't shatter, and the door frames twist. That's always fun. (Not my house, an acquaintance that refused to listen to my warnings.)
Great video as always. If I were to add anything, I would set the posts on a piece of pressure treated lumber to distribute the weight on the floor. I would also throw a level on the post to ensure its plumb before final tightening.
Caution: Make sure your temporary post on the floor jack is fully plumb (use a level on 2-sides). Do the same with your new lolly column. Personally, I would not use a car jack on wheels-the wheels on the car jack are designed to allow the jack to "roll-out" as the jack is lowered. You don't want your jack to roll anywhere when lifting a floor joist or loaded beam. I prefer a good quality bottle jack. Great video and channel. Stay safe people.
I've had to jack a couple of houses, and my new house will definitely need a sill plate replacement, and to fix a sagging centerline. This is an awesome video, and I'm definitely getting a car jack now!! The other thing that I appreciate is how he covers the "common sense" stuff that isn't common.
Hell of a video, thank you for pretty much all of the information given. My house was built in 1850 and it's been a nightmare to figure out how to solve the sagging floors, this simplifies the process immensely.
Good Job on the video, my first time seeing logs used as floor joists! One suggestion which is a must is to use a level on the side of the post before securing it. Adjust one edge until it is plum, then rotate the level around the column 90 degrees and confirm that edge is plum. This will confirm that the base of your post is exactly below the top plate, now your post is pushing straight up, especially important if using this on floor joists that could buckle if you are pushing on an angle. If the post is not straight it may not hold its rated capacity. I kept seeing your level in the background of the video and waiting for you to use it lol! Also worth mentioning that if install on a concrete floor, the slabs in basements are not very thick. If this is a permanent install, it is to most codes and worth it to pour a concrete footing under the jack stand/ lally column. Otherwise with time the floor may buckle, (google for images of this) on my drawings they wanted a 18"x18" at 18" deep footing. Oh and I purchased those same columns at Home depot. Much better than the others I have purchased in the past from other stores just like you said. Thanks for the video! and 400K + views is impressive!
I'd suggest checking the thickness of the concrete floor below that post, or at least using a couple of pieces of 2x12 or such to distribute the weight a bit. It'd be a real pain to have that post break through a chunk of hollow or weak floor on 1" thick concrete and erase all of your hard work! I assume for a final fix, you'll be digging down and pouring foundations right? Great videos - keep 'em coming!
Have been watching you for years, boy how you have honed your videos...without exception, great, thorough, educational content, every single time. Congrats on your success, you deserve it!
The automotive jack keeps me from lifting too fast since it has limitations. A 25 would likely cause me to lift it all into place at once and break everything. Cheers!
This. is. so. satisfying. Everyone told me this couldn’t be done. To which I say: watch Home RenoVision DIY. I’m gonna jack up my jacked up house. 💪👩🏼🔧
They charged my neighbor $4500 dollars to do that before they sold the house and only showed up once. I guess there are a few half ass foundation companies out there. It took them a couple of hours to complete. I would feel really screwed if I paid that for a foundation company to do that for me.
@@late4suppa1 You can also literally collapse your house. You would pay not only for expertise but for insurance. Your homeowners insurance isn't going to cover your collapsed house if you did it yourself.
@@wjerame OK, let's not wet ourselves. Obviously not a job you want to take lightly, but again not something beyond an informed Do It Yourself type homeowner. If you want to hire experts to do all of your work, be my guest.
Thank you so much! I used this trick to save the roof over my deck today (support beam cracked from snow weight and broke off an anchor). Was able to slowly lift the entire deck roof back to level and buy myself some time to find better supports.
Just bought a house from 1900. It's in pretty good shape but definitely not level. Since I don't have much money after the purchase I'm looking for ways to do it myself. I appreciate the information!
You really make videos of everything a homeowner needs to know!! I have a similar issue going on in my place that's stopped me from installing new flooring, and this video will be very helpful for fixing that issue! A couple of questions: 1) What should I do if we don't have concrete on the ground? 2) Do you have a plan to do a video on addressing crawl space/basement issue? DIY Encapsulation, maybe? Thank you!
use high strength concrete to make some foundation supports. Don't use wood. Crawl Space Ninja might be able to help. They do videos on youtube. Drying out your basement is always good but expensive. Don't store wood or cardboard in your crawl space unless it is in a sealed plastic container with moisture absorbents in the containers. I even use a box fan to keep the air moving in my crawl space using bathroom style switch so it will trip if anything bad happens electrically speaking. I will only use the box fan for a year or two at the most and change them as they run all of the time. Hang the electrical cord from the floor above so it will not get wet. There is also a company called Apple Drains that does french drain videos. My low spot in the crawl space was wet because the drain was too high so I added a sump pit and a 40 foot french drain along the lower wall and it is dry? now. At least I can't see the water anymore. Replace the sump pump every three or four years if it runs a lot. I am not a professional but it worked for me. I even added light in my crawl space for $1200 and it is like daylight. The electrician added freezer lights in 3 locations for a 2500 sq foot house. No flashlights for me. Keep a 6 ft stick at the entrance of the crawl space so you can clear cob webs as you walk in or crawl in. I can't tell you how many cob webs I ate before I did this.
You could also buy a 10$ computer fan and attach it to one of your vents then seal around the fan. Those fans are meant to run 24/7 for years and they move plenty of air to keep radon and whatever else down. As far as dryness, only real solution is a dehumidifier. It’s worth it to buy a nice one. Aprilaire is the way to go. Installing yourself is a breeze. Even if you just lay down vapor barrier and a dehumidifier your life will be 10x better.
I am a silly woman living in an old, old house in Maine. I need to put some jack posts in the basement under those logs that they used to build the foundation. I can see where the beams are sagging. Much like me, however there is hope for the beams. I'm finding these instructions great and I'm searching for my drill, my plumb bob and my screws. No reason that I can't do this myself because I've done everything else myself. You are very good at these instructions. I need some support. No pun intended.
Good info. I just got 2 posts replaced and installed. This year I started my basement reno. Gutted the 60+ year old build, the things I saw. It was built and rebuilt before, reused and mixed (mill cut) 2x4s and 2x2s with scraps, wires like spiderwebs. But the kicker was when I removed the 4 inches of subfloor they made. Once it was lifted, my jaw dropped. Who ever owned it in the 70-80s removed 1 of 2 support post. And built the subfloor up and over the height of the post footing. The other post was original 6x8 wood. The 2 story at that time was supported one side 16 to 8. across the 24ft beam (instead of every 8) Bro, in my head I knew what to do. But decided to subcontract someone in. Best money spent. Got 2 HD posts installed (used the original footings), set and leveled, and scoped beam. Also explained how to adjust. 1 hour, no stress. The process is pretty cool scoping the beam with a laser level to adjust post. Almost forgot, you did not say anything about the footings where the posts should stand. Please do not place posts anywhere other than the footing for it. If not placed properly, post could puncture basement floor, like a straw in a plastic lid. Side note, keep up these videos. Good information is good information. There are a million things to do as a home owner.
I love your videos you keep it real! It’s not rocket science a house in 4 walls and a roof. Some common sense and the will power any house can be repaired. Someone would say the house needs torn down when all it needed was a car jack and some house jacks.
“If you’re watching this video it’s because something has happened in your home and you’ve got to be creative with repairing your structure. .” Wrong..it’s because it 430am and I don’t know what I’m doing with my life
I have a suggestion - God has a great plan for your life, I never knew to ask him this - until I learned about deeper faith through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as I played sports in college. Read Psalm 1, and keep read one per day, you will gain faith in how much God loves you and planned - unfortunately, a lot of our parents never told us this. I know have peace, direction, trials like anyone does, nothing is perfect, but I have a Savior who loves me and will help me when I ask - and I ask all the time!
There are 2 sheer pins on a snow blower because there are 2 auger sections that turn independently of each other. 2 pins are required to protect both sections of auger.
I like how the Dad doesnt lord it over the son and the young gentleman gets to offer his opinion as well. He seems to be absorbing all of this rather than just tolerating listening to his Dad preach at everyone.
This idea works. My Dads house was a long shoe box for say up on massive concrete pillars. Water started coming over the back side of the home roof when it rained This would be one of the long sides. So they used these type of steel screw posts. In one years time, the problem was greatly diminished. Somewhere less them two years it was completely fixed with no major cracking or any of the other stuff that can go wrong when done too fast.
My split level's main floor was rather bouncy. Quick and dirty was to visit the local scrap yard and get a half dozen scissors jacks for $5.00 each. The crawl space was a nice gravel from lots of bucket hauling I did a decade and a half ago. A base of two sections of 3/4" plywood screwed together, tees made of 4x4, and the scissors jacks solidified that floor like no one's business! Cheap, simple, quick, and extremely productive; it's the way all home fixes should be.
I had to do this in my crawlspace to replace a 5 ft section of sill plate (termites). I used a 12 ton bottle jack, which was scary because I had to get my head next to the lifting post. I was afraid it would snap or kick out, especially when it started creaking. Not fun. A car jack lets you stand farther away but would be a bear to get into the crawlspace. Great vid as always.
To anyone jacking up their house. Just be careful. Make sure the jack is on a flat ground and you're jacking straight up. I've seen bottle jacks fly out like a dam cannon ball which could've easily killed someone while they're jacking up a house. I have no experience in this method with an automtoive tool but i'm assuming if the wood post flys out due to it not being straight, it'll do the same thing and whack you so hard it'll hurt you really bad or even kill you.
We are doing this in my Mother's house. Fun times, but it is a study house that the original roofers just created a hodgepodge of rafters every which way from room to room with no supporting wall under it. Fun times over at Yates street.
M C Taylor I’m leaving the foundation to permanently attach the house to the footings. The inside is still unlivable. If you find my Facebook page I usually post about each project with pictures. I have two, it’s the one with the mirror. Thank you so much for responding ❤️
A house we lived in several years ago , you could put a marble on the floor and it would roll all the way to the window at the front of the house ! When I got into the crawl space ,some of the support piers had been removed ! I had to jack it up and build new supports In several places ! I have no idea how this was missed by the surveyor!
Surveyor? Why would he be in your basement? Structural Engineer maybe. I bet the builder never used one. Hell, the owner probably built the house himself.
I love this channel! The information is great and the way it’s presented is clear and fun! I don’t even need to do this yet, but having the knowledge will be helpful in the future. Thank you Jeff for the great videos!
👍 How to find the lowest and the highest points of the joists? What are the reference points? Every time when you move your laser it seats on tripod on the floor. Floor can be crooked or purposely have a slope to collect the water if it flooded. The dirt floor can be uneven as well. If your reference point is the top of the joist then it’s hard to trace from one joist to another or along 1 joist because the laser beam will be blocked by obstacles. Also, how to avoid the concrete slab to crack under the pressure of the supporting posts if there is no concrete pad foundation underneath?
We have an uninsulated extention on the house that had a corrugated plastic roof, water proofed with swimming pool canvas. Real creative. Of course it leaked like a coffee filter so we built a proper roof and I suspect the added weight of the plywood and 2x4 beams and shingles has made it sag a bit because the doors have become wonky as hell. It's supported on jacks so I'll give this a try, thanks.
Jacking up a floor that has sagged over decades can create a whole new set of problems . things like doors no longer closing , countertops and other level surfaces going off level , tiles cracking , walls and ceilings cracking , floorboards lifting and squeaking or splintering . Beware if you do this in a finished house . You might have to deal with other issues . This should be mentioned in this video .
True, but from one cracked joist (knothole), I have doors that don't want to close anymore, creaky spots, and I can't remember what all. Once I'm set up, I don't need to rush. However, I am looking forward to swapping out some of my problems for new ones.
I had a previous owner take out three 2x4 studs on a support wall in my finished basement on a small three story townhouse. He must have recently done it before I bought the house and within months the floors on both levels above started warping. My plan is to use a 4x4 and two 2x6s a a header at the top or the new door frame and use a pole jack to push it all up before placing two king studs and some jack studs to hold it all up. Love you channel and would be interested in you thoughts or helpful ideas.
Good for you,imagine how this stuff was done before TH-cam! A dude would go fix something in his house without a clue and learn as he went. You may be poor, but rich in your self sufficiency. I love it, thanks for the video.
I've never seen joists made of logs before, I guess it is very strong but it would be hard to build like that given that they are all different diameters, the straightness would not be great and you are attaching the floor to a round object. Having said that great job repairing it.
An old carpenter once gave me a few pointers on doing this with vintage homes. You bang a few nails into those logs at a measured distance below the floor (say 3") and do this across a 10 ft span, then stretch a string tight between the nails. You have 3" from the string up to the floor at both ends and you keep jacking over a period of time till you have the same 3" in the center. You do it this way because the log is not smooth enough to use a traditional level... and your post is in the way.
It's been years now, but a friend had a full size gun safe in his family room. Granted, he had it against the wall. One day I notice that I could see a 2" space below the baseboard directly behind the safe. We went to the basement and saw two of the main joists, directly below where the safe was, were cut to pull in new electrical runs. The floor was sagging so much. We got a similar jack system to lift the floor. I only adjusted it 1/2 turn each week. It took half a year but the floor was again level. The safe was moved to the garage, sitting on concrete instead of a wood floor.
@@michaels840 He kept a gun safe in his family room? Like where families meet? And there is no such thing as "main joists." And i can guarantee you nobody cuts joists to "pull electrical runs." Especially in a basement. You drill holes. or strap to the underside of joists. I think you were hoodwinked.
@@johnbrattan9341 Absolutely, you'd expect holes, but a section was cut out of it, not drilled. When I wrote MAIN I meant middle. We put additional bracing (spanned across multiple joists perpendicular) along with the post.
Great video. The tip on raising it a little at a time is great. So basically don't rush it , a couple turns at a time and allow it to de-stress a few days after each time you raise . I have similiar situation at my house.
Great video ! Were going to jack up some support beams in our basement following your excellent advice. Used my 4 foot bubble level to determine the floors were sagging a bit on our 40 year old house. We're gonna adjust it now to avoid any excessive beam or foundation concrete wall cracking. We've also found "hydraulic concrete" as a very useful solutions tool. Thanks again !
Love your videos, they are always have great info. One thing, over the great many years working on homes I have yet to see a Jack Post that came with two pins. Even the ones I picked up lately have the same old single pin. but like you I have seen someone use them wrong.
Very informational! If you want to take it a bit further throw some proper sized lag bolts and anchors into the wood beam and floor from the start rather than at the finish, thanks for the video!
Question: every week do I come back with the support 4x4 and jack each time before I do the half turn on the relevant adjustable posts? Or do I just half turn each post once a week? I’m having trouble doing the half turns with my wrench bc my house is 3 stories and I’m not that strong.
I am just finishing up doing some of this in my house. Sistering joists and raising them with bottle jacks and and these supports. Every time I release a bottle jack I have the same look on my face that he did. Like, ok ok yup it's gonna stay. Over 20 joists sistered in 2 weeks and every time.
Only advice I might add is that when releasing the jack you should do it in a controlled way. If you release it quickly and the lollicolumn or car isn't secured properly it will give you time to react. If you just drop it fast then there's no going back.
MAKE SURE THE JACK CAN'T MOVE, it is on wheels it is designed to move as a vehicle is lifted, in your application it is able to be scoot out from under the prop. By placing the jack on a substantial block of wood lifting the wheels off the floor it will not only immobilize the jack but also avoid the point loading from the wheels.
Pretty sure you should never do that, it has wheels to center the load, the jack moves not the car or post as it may be. It's the opposite of what you're thinking. If you put it on blocks as you jack it up the bottom of the beam would be moving to the side. It can break your jack or in the case of a car it will be trying to move your car sideways. Hope that makes sense to ya.
Great timing! I just ordered a lally column to replace the rusted one in the basement. Sorry to hear I'll have to be sober to do this....can't win 'em all
What are the name of the post there on the box. Where do you by them. I’m gonna need three for a span of at least 25 ft. Your awesome by the way and amazing instruction. Glad I joined your page. BTW what’s the rule of thumb for placement of post. Every 7ft or what. Thanks again!
Any thoughts on replacing posts? Should I use a jack to lift the beam or just run temporary supports from floor to beam while I remove and replace the said post? Also worth noting that this post supports the corner gable end of my roof so... not as much load as your tree trunks
I noticed you cranking the posts counter-clockwise to increase their height and push up against the wood joist. Is that standard for all floor jacks? I need to reduce the pressure under my support beam and thought a counter-clockwise turn would reduce the extension of the adjustment bolt.
People say that the slow jacking thing, but I never do. I just blast that sucker up in the air and it’s good 👍 if the wood is good enough to hold the house up it will be fine. I specialize in jacking and leveling homes in Ontario. Chris Wood Homes. Pretty good video.
I have purchased a house that was built in 1912. The basement has a variety of different home improvement left overs throughout the years including an old built in freezer with a compressor from the 1960', an old furnace from the 1940's with its updated counterpart from 2016. Same leveling issues going on but also the concrete foundation is crumbling into dust. Should I tackle the foundational issues then level the joists or tackel both at the same time?
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY You seriously did. It's hard out here for a homeowner, I consider myself to be pretty handy and I DIY where I can ( and as long as it's within the law) , but sometimes you have to hire outside help ( specifically referencing your video on roughed in plumbing in the basement). Unfortunately, it seems more and more contractors in my area are taking a predatory stance towards we non licensed folk. It makes it hard to tell who I should trust when they quote a job. This fix ( that I've been doing on my own now) was quoted by 3 different contractors ranging from 2 grand to 11 k! So again, thank you for explaining it plainly.
Glad were helping you out and saving you some money! You should put that saved cash toward your next material list and maybe put $5 toward our memberships?? LOL... Just kidding Chris, you do you man, Thanks for the feedback! #Cheers
Great video as always.. one question though I have a home Built-in the 1920th Sections of the floor sag in certain areas after if I jack them up do I need to have a perminent poll put in? Or can I just leave the temporary support in For the wood to reset or would the floor start to sag again after removing temporary Support is removed
The post you put in, are they permanent or temporary? If there temporary, how do you take it out seeing as you nailed it to the cement. If it's permanent, should you lay cement on top of it?
Thank you for yr videos .... I have a question ....we have a family home in newfoundland on the avalon....the house is approx 175 yrs old ...it is built on a rock foundation....the kitchen has dropped by about 2-4 inches and on top of the kitchen you have a bed room.....would the car jack system work for that as well over a time period of a few months ...bearing in mind theres only a two and a half foot crawl space ....
From past experiences, seeing beams like that gives me anxiety. I set up a laser level and set up floor jacks across any beam found sagging. I use 10 and 20 ton bottle jacks. I try to set up temporary supports and jack everything together. Crazy seeing what all leveling beams does upstairs! Good thing it wasn't in a crawl space!!
What kind of post can you use between the ceiling and the bottle jack that supports the floor? Yours is the only comment I've seen that mentions having 10 and 20 ton jacks, so I'm wondering what post is strong enough to compliment that
I had to replace some load bearing posts on the back on my beach house. The posts were 8' 3" long. I have an hydraulic jack and when I saw this video I thought, cook, I can do that! So I used this jack and a 6' 4x4 post to lift the house up - - just a couple inches, but enough to put the new post (actually 2) in place, and then 'lower' the jack to 'lock' the posts into place. Very very cool. You guys saved me a ton of expense, and the results were amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I have an old house like this. The previous owner jacked it all at once and broke the main tree beam. Housing inspector missed it and now I have to deal with it. If you could please break that beam in your house so I can watch the repair video 😁
LOL, No matter how much I would like to help you with that I think I might have to decline on your offer. Call a structural engineer for advice. Cheers!
LifeOutdoors 2day SAME! I have two broken trees in my basement from the same dang problem. We gotta catch that guy and make him repair what he did to our places. 😂
This is probably the most honest and funny post I have ever seen on a DIY video. hahaha!
this is the most honest request I have seen.
Be glad the windows didn't shatter, and the door frames twist. That's always fun. (Not my house, an acquaintance that refused to listen to my warnings.)
This guy is one of the best uploading videos. He has a ton of knowledge and the personality to deliver it thoroughly.
Best teacher. He takes such care in his communication.
Great video as always. If I were to add anything, I would set the posts on a piece of pressure treated lumber to distribute the weight on the floor. I would also throw a level on the post to ensure its plumb before final tightening.
yeh the level for sure, i was surprised he didn't do that step
Caution: Make sure your temporary post on the floor jack is fully plumb (use a level on 2-sides). Do the same with your new lolly column. Personally, I would not use a car jack on wheels-the wheels on the car jack are designed to allow the jack to "roll-out" as the jack is lowered. You don't want your jack to roll anywhere when lifting a floor joist or loaded beam. I prefer a good quality bottle jack. Great video and channel. Stay safe people.
Great points
yeah, this video is suspect - like really, you don't need to make sure your support post is level? wtf
I prefer to use a mechanical jack versus hydraulic jack. Hydraulic jacks can bleed down, mechanical jacks won't.
@@courgetteeplumb 😀
I've had to jack a couple of houses, and my new house will definitely need a sill plate replacement, and to fix a sagging centerline. This is an awesome video, and I'm definitely getting a car jack now!!
The other thing that I appreciate is how he covers the "common sense" stuff that isn't common.
I just bought a house and one things I need to do is this. Thank you do much for your videos your saving me tons of money
Hell of a video, thank you for pretty much all of the information given. My house was built in 1850 and it's been a nightmare to figure out how to solve the sagging floors, this simplifies the process immensely.
Thank you! My dad won't hire anyone, so we're watching to do it ourselves....you DIY guys rock.
How did it go?
Good Job on the video, my first time seeing logs used as floor joists! One suggestion which is a must is to use a level on the side of the post before securing it. Adjust one edge until it is plum, then rotate the level around the column 90 degrees and confirm that edge is plum. This will confirm that the base of your post is exactly below the top plate, now your post is pushing straight up, especially important if using this on floor joists that could buckle if you are pushing on an angle. If the post is not straight it may not hold its rated capacity. I kept seeing your level in the background of the video and waiting for you to use it lol! Also worth mentioning that if install on a concrete floor, the slabs in basements are not very thick. If this is a permanent install, it is to most codes and worth it to pour a concrete footing under the jack stand/ lally column. Otherwise with time the floor may buckle, (google for images of this) on my drawings they wanted a 18"x18" at 18" deep footing. Oh and I purchased those same columns at Home depot. Much better than the others I have purchased in the past from other stores just like you said.
Thanks for the video! and 400K + views is impressive!
Thank you.
I'd suggest checking the thickness of the concrete floor below that post, or at least using a couple of pieces of 2x12 or such to distribute the weight a bit. It'd be a real pain to have that post break through a chunk of hollow or weak floor on 1" thick concrete and erase all of your hard work! I assume for a final fix, you'll be digging down and pouring foundations right? Great videos - keep 'em coming!
Hi Richard, we will be excavating and installing 2' x 2' pads where the point loads will be for sure.
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY can you show how you did that?
I checked your channel. I have seen other guys do this-make their own forms, get a concrete truck, etc. etc.
Bravo Richard, common sense rules, foundations first then supports,,,easy,
Did break through a crappy floor in my old house that seemed to be leveling compound poured on top of cinders from the original coal furnace.
1880's farm house..WOOOOOOOOO!!! so much to do.. I can't imagine the amount of awesome video content that your gonna share with us.
Things are about to get pretty crazy!
Just bought a 1900 farm home in northern Maine. It has it all, mold, rodents and of course foundational/structural problems... #prayforus
@@voiceofREASONS get yourself 3 cats
Thanks!
Cheers Marilynn.
Have been watching you for years, boy how you have honed your videos...without exception, great, thorough, educational content, every single time. Congrats on your success, you deserve it!
Any concerns about all that pressure being put on the slab?
20 ton Bottle Jack is my go to for jacking up houses. But I love the automotive floor jack idea.
The automotive jack keeps me from lifting too fast since it has limitations. A 25 would likely cause me to lift it all into place at once and break everything. Cheers!
This. is. so. satisfying. Everyone told me this couldn’t be done. To which I say: watch Home RenoVision DIY.
I’m gonna jack up my jacked up house. 💪👩🏼🔧
Cheers Katie!
They charged my neighbor $4500 dollars to do that before they sold the house and only showed up once. I guess there are a few half ass foundation companies out there. It took them a couple of hours to complete. I would feel really screwed if I paid that for a foundation company to do that for me.
People will tell you things like that because they're stupid. Structures are jacked up all the time.
@@late4suppa1 You can also literally collapse your house. You would pay not only for expertise but for insurance. Your homeowners insurance isn't going to cover your collapsed house if you did it yourself.
@@wjerame OK, let's not wet ourselves. Obviously not a job you want to take lightly, but again not something beyond an informed Do It Yourself type homeowner. If you want to hire experts to do all of your work, be my guest.
Thank you so much! I used this trick to save the roof over my deck today (support beam cracked from snow weight and broke off an anchor). Was able to slowly lift the entire deck roof back to level and buy myself some time to find better supports.
Just bought a house from 1900. It's in pretty good shape but definitely not level. Since I don't have much money after the purchase I'm looking for ways to do it myself. I appreciate the information!
Thank you so much for this. I'm saving a Victorian farmhouse and I need to level a few spots and you've demystified the process for me. Thank you.
I consider you as good as Tommy from my old house. Very knowledgeable.
Cheers, But to be Honest I an pretty sure he has more Carpentry knowledge than I do!
You really make videos of everything a homeowner needs to know!! I have a similar issue going on in my place that's stopped me from installing new flooring, and this video will be very helpful for fixing that issue! A couple of questions: 1) What should I do if we don't have concrete on the ground? 2) Do you have a plan to do a video on addressing crawl space/basement issue? DIY Encapsulation, maybe? Thank you!
use high strength concrete to make some foundation supports. Don't use wood. Crawl Space Ninja might be able to help. They do videos on youtube. Drying out your basement is always good but expensive. Don't store wood or cardboard in your crawl space unless it is in a sealed plastic container with moisture absorbents in the containers. I even use a box fan to keep the air moving in my crawl space using bathroom style switch so it will trip if anything bad happens electrically speaking. I will only use the box fan for a year or two at the most and change them as they run all of the time. Hang the electrical cord from the floor above so it will not get wet. There is also a company called Apple Drains that does french drain videos. My low spot in the crawl space was wet because the drain was too high so I added a sump pit and a 40 foot french drain along the lower wall and it is dry? now. At least I can't see the water anymore. Replace the sump pump every three or four years if it runs a lot. I am not a professional but it worked for me. I even added light in my crawl space for $1200 and it is like daylight. The electrician added freezer lights in 3 locations for a 2500 sq foot house. No flashlights for me. Keep a 6 ft stick at the entrance of the crawl space so you can clear cob webs as you walk in or crawl in. I can't tell you how many cob webs I ate before I did this.
You could also buy a 10$ computer fan and attach it to one of your vents then seal around the fan. Those fans are meant to run 24/7 for years and they move plenty of air to keep radon and whatever else down. As far as dryness, only real solution is a dehumidifier. It’s worth it to buy a nice one. Aprilaire is the way to go. Installing yourself is a breeze. Even if you just lay down vapor barrier and a dehumidifier your life will be 10x better.
I level houses. I do a few things different. But this is a great video for homeowners. Informative and good explanation. Great job
I am a silly woman living in an old, old house in Maine. I need to put some jack posts in the basement under those logs that they used to build the foundation. I can see where the beams are sagging. Much like me, however there is hope for the beams. I'm finding these instructions great and I'm searching for my drill, my plumb bob and my screws. No reason that I can't do this myself because I've done everything else myself. You are very good at these instructions. I need some support. No pun intended.
Good info.
I just got 2 posts replaced and installed.
This year I started my basement reno. Gutted the 60+ year old build, the things I saw. It was built and rebuilt before, reused and mixed (mill cut) 2x4s and 2x2s with scraps, wires like spiderwebs.
But the kicker was when I removed the 4 inches of subfloor they made.
Once it was lifted, my jaw dropped.
Who ever owned it in the 70-80s removed 1 of 2 support post.
And built the subfloor up and over the height of the post footing.
The other post was original 6x8 wood. The 2 story at that time was supported one side 16 to 8. across the 24ft beam (instead of every 8)
Bro, in my head I knew what to do.
But decided to subcontract someone in.
Best money spent.
Got 2 HD posts installed (used the original footings), set and leveled, and scoped beam.
Also explained how to adjust.
1 hour, no stress.
The process is pretty cool scoping the beam with a laser level to adjust post.
Almost forgot, you did not say anything about the footings where the posts should stand.
Please do not place posts anywhere other than the footing for it.
If not placed properly, post could puncture basement floor, like a straw in a plastic lid.
Side note, keep up these videos.
Good information is good information.
There are a million things to do as a home owner.
Glad I am not the only one who has his kiddos help him!
I love your videos you keep it real! It’s not rocket science a house in 4 walls and a roof. Some common sense and the will power any house can be repaired. Someone would say the house needs torn down when all it needed was a car jack and some house jacks.
“If you’re watching this video it’s because something has happened in your home and you’ve got to be creative with repairing your structure. .” Wrong..it’s because it 430am and I don’t know what I’m doing with my life
I just want to build but the government has too many rules.
I have a suggestion - God has a great plan for your life, I never knew to ask him this - until I learned about deeper faith through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as I played sports in college. Read Psalm 1, and keep read one per day, you will gain faith in how much God loves you and planned - unfortunately, a lot of our parents never told us this. I know have peace, direction, trials like anyone does, nothing is perfect, but I have a Savior who loves me and will help me when I ask - and I ask all the time!
You're not alone Tyler.,
@@janetstone236 Take your Kool-Aid elsewhere Janet
Same
I had to grin when Jeff eyeballs how plumb the jack post was when the level in the background is within easy reach. 😎
There are 2 sheer pins on a snow blower because there are 2 auger sections that turn independently of each other. 2 pins are required to protect both sections of auger.
I like how the Dad doesnt lord it over the son and the young gentleman gets to offer his opinion as well. He seems to be absorbing all of this rather than just tolerating listening to his Dad preach at everyone.
Thank you for this, I have the same issue, and I was freaking out. now i feel that there is hope for my old house
Thank you so much for this I'm very new and very timid when it comes to Foundation issues I learned a lot
This idea works. My Dads house was a long shoe box for say up on massive concrete pillars. Water started coming over the back side of the home roof when it rained This would be one of the long sides. So they used these type of steel screw posts. In one years time, the problem was greatly diminished. Somewhere less them two years it was completely fixed with no major cracking or any of the other stuff that can go wrong when done too fast.
slow does work best.
My split level's main floor was rather bouncy. Quick and dirty was to visit the local scrap yard and get a half dozen scissors jacks for $5.00 each. The crawl space was a nice gravel from lots of bucket hauling I did a decade and a half ago.
A base of two sections of 3/4" plywood screwed together, tees made of 4x4, and the scissors jacks solidified that floor like no one's business! Cheap, simple, quick, and extremely productive; it's the way all home fixes should be.
I had to do this in my crawlspace to replace a 5 ft section of sill plate (termites). I used a 12 ton bottle jack, which was scary because I had to get my head next to the lifting post. I was afraid it would snap or kick out, especially when it started creaking. Not fun. A car jack lets you stand farther away but would be a bear to get into the crawlspace. Great vid as always.
When working with wood under pressure I prefer to be standing clear. Cheers!
To anyone jacking up their house. Just be careful. Make sure the jack is on a flat ground and you're jacking straight up. I've seen bottle jacks fly out like a dam cannon ball which could've easily killed someone while they're jacking up a house. I have no experience in this method with an automtoive tool but i'm assuming if the wood post flys out due to it not being straight, it'll do the same thing and whack you so hard it'll hurt you really bad or even kill you.
Thank you - just watched a few videos on jack-posts, and this was the best shot.
Nope; Just watching it because you are awesome. Love all your videos. Keep up the great work.
My thoughts exactly
Cheers Mike!
You too Nathan!
We are doing this in my Mother's house. Fun times, but it is a study house that the original roofers just created a hodgepodge of rafters every which way from room to room with no supporting wall under it. Fun times over at Yates street.
I’m a single mother and I’ll be doing this on my own, thanks you made it seem easy
Safety first. Have you considered that you could use rugs (and carpet+padding) to possibly make a floor seem more level.
M C Taylor
I’m leaving the foundation to permanently attach the house to the footings. The inside is still unlivable.
If you find my Facebook page I usually post about each project with pictures. I have two, it’s the one with the mirror.
Thank you so much for responding ❤️
This is great! So much more simple than I thought. Question, did you replace the temporary posts that you used to jack up the house?
can you please tell us the name of the jack post the thick top plate is what im looking for
A house we lived in several years ago , you could put a marble on the floor and it would roll all the way to the window at the front of the house !
When I got into the crawl space ,some of the support piers had been removed ! I had to jack it up and build new supports In several places !
I have no idea how this was missed by the surveyor!
Surveyor? Why would he be in your basement? Structural Engineer maybe. I bet the builder never used one. Hell, the owner probably built the house himself.
@@GeorgeMinton-jb8ky I think he meant to say home inspector.
I love this channel! The information is great and the way it’s presented is clear and fun! I don’t even need to do this yet, but having the knowledge will be helpful in the future. Thank you Jeff for the great videos!
Cheers Chris , glad to be of some help!
👍 How to find the lowest and the highest points of the joists? What are the reference points? Every time when you move your laser it seats on tripod on the floor. Floor can be crooked or purposely have a slope to collect the water if it flooded. The dirt floor can be uneven as well. If your reference point is the top of the joist then it’s hard to trace from one joist to another or along 1 joist because the laser beam will be blocked by obstacles.
Also, how to avoid the concrete slab to crack under the pressure of the supporting posts if there is no concrete pad foundation underneath?
We have an uninsulated extention on the house that had a corrugated plastic roof, water proofed with swimming pool canvas. Real creative. Of course it leaked like a coffee filter so we built a proper roof and I suspect the added weight of the plywood and 2x4 beams and shingles has made it sag a bit because the doors have become wonky as hell.
It's supported on jacks so I'll give this a try, thanks.
Knowing and properly applying it shows results, as evident. Thanks! ( My house sunk from Texas freeze/ water damping ground).
Jacking up a floor that has sagged over decades can create a whole new set of problems . things like doors no longer closing , countertops and other level surfaces going off level , tiles cracking , walls and ceilings cracking , floorboards lifting and squeaking or splintering . Beware if you do this in a finished house . You might have to deal with other issues . This should be mentioned in this video .
True, but from one cracked joist (knothole), I have doors that don't want to close anymore, creaky spots, and I can't remember what all. Once I'm set up, I don't need to rush. However, I am looking forward to swapping out some of my problems for new ones.
Do it over weeks or months so the house can slowly adjust.
Excellent. I'd like to move my inground pool two feet to the left. I'm following your tutorial now!
I had a previous owner take out three 2x4 studs on a support wall in my finished basement on a small three story townhouse. He must have recently done it before I bought the house and within months the floors on both levels above started warping. My plan is to use a 4x4 and two 2x6s a a header at the top or the new door frame and use a pole jack to push it all up before placing two king studs and some jack studs to hold it all up. Love you channel and would be interested in you thoughts or helpful ideas.
Good for you,imagine how this stuff was done before TH-cam! A dude would go fix something in his house without a clue and learn as he went. You may be poor, but rich in your self sufficiency. I love it, thanks for the video.
We used to pay big money for these things called home improvement books. Now we can't give them away
I've never seen joists made of logs before, I guess it is very strong but it would be hard to build like that given that they are all different diameters, the straightness would not be great and you are attaching the floor to a round object. Having said that great job repairing it.
Great video and easy to follow. Do you have any video on Replacing Rooted Roofing Still Plates on a belt course ? Thanks
An old carpenter once gave me a few pointers on doing this with vintage homes. You bang a few nails into those logs at a measured distance below the floor (say 3") and do this across a 10 ft span, then stretch a string tight between the nails. You have 3" from the string up to the floor at both ends and you keep jacking over a period of time till you have the same 3" in the center. You do it this way because the log is not smooth enough to use a traditional level... and your post is in the way.
This video is so helpful - emphasizing slow/long-term jacking (1/2 turn per week) to keep from shocking the timbers. Thanks for this video. Cheers!!
It's been years now, but a friend had a full size gun safe in his family room. Granted, he had it against the wall. One day I notice that I could see a 2" space below the baseboard directly behind the safe. We went to the basement and saw two of the main joists, directly below where the safe was, were cut to pull in new electrical runs. The floor was sagging so much. We got a similar jack system to lift the floor. I only adjusted it 1/2 turn each week. It took half a year but the floor was again level. The safe was moved to the garage, sitting on concrete instead of a wood floor.
@@michaels840 Sometimes "slow, but sure" is the best way to shore. Cheers
@@michaels840 He kept a gun safe in his family room? Like where families meet? And there is no such thing as "main joists." And i can guarantee you nobody cuts joists to "pull electrical runs." Especially in a basement. You drill holes. or strap to the underside of joists. I think you were hoodwinked.
timber shock can cause snapping.
@@johnbrattan9341 Absolutely, you'd expect holes, but a section was cut out of it, not drilled. When I wrote MAIN I meant middle. We put additional bracing (spanned across multiple joists perpendicular) along with the post.
Can the metal plate contact the concrete if post is permanent? Won’t moisture from the cement slab rust the metal plate? Thanks Jeff!
Great video. The tip on raising it a little at a time is great. So basically don't rush it , a couple turns at a time and allow it to de-stress a few days after each time you raise .
I have similiar situation at my house.
Can you lift one beam one at a time and level it using one bottle jack or do you have to lift up several beams with using multiple bottle jacks.
Great video ! Were going to jack up some support beams in our basement following your excellent advice. Used my 4 foot bubble level to determine the floors were sagging a bit on our 40 year old house. We're gonna adjust it now to avoid any excessive beam or foundation concrete wall cracking. We've also found "hydraulic concrete" as a very useful solutions tool. Thanks again !
Great job keeping it simple yet highlighting the all important details.👍
Never knew houses had logs under them. Nice informational video.
Our old farmhouse had virgin hardwood hand hued beams, Rugged
not very common, but you will see them occasionally if they are old enough and in the country!
Love your videos, they are always have great info. One thing, over the great many years working on homes I have yet to see a Jack Post that came with two pins. Even the ones I picked up lately have the same old single pin. but like you I have seen someone use them wrong.
It may be that the threaded adjuster is carrying all the load.
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT INSTRUCTION! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Good, simple, straightforward video! I needed that! Many thx.
Great information. I am hoping you have a video regarding replacing multiple damaged floor joists. Trying to fix my home.
Did u do this fix yet? If so how did it go ? I got same problem.
Great instruction and explanation of the process!! thanks for sharing your skill and knowledge!
My 1917 farmhouse also has bark covered tree trunks for floor joists.
Amazing!
Very informational! If you want to take it a bit further throw some proper sized lag bolts and anchors into the wood beam and floor from the start rather than at the finish, thanks for the video!
Fantastic video, really easy to follow
Question: every week do I come back with the support 4x4 and jack each time before I do the half turn on the relevant adjustable posts? Or do I just half turn each post once a week? I’m having trouble doing the half turns with my wrench bc my house is 3 stories and I’m not that strong.
I am just finishing up doing some of this in my house. Sistering joists and raising them with bottle jacks and and these supports. Every time I release a bottle jack I have the same look on my face that he did. Like, ok ok yup it's gonna stay. Over 20 joists sistered in 2 weeks and every time.
Only advice I might add is that when releasing the jack you should do it in a controlled way. If you release it quickly and the lollicolumn or car isn't secured properly it will give you time to react. If you just drop it fast then there's no going back.
MAKE SURE THE JACK CAN'T MOVE, it is on wheels it is designed to move as a vehicle is lifted, in your application it is able to be scoot out from under the prop. By placing the jack on a substantial block of wood lifting the wheels off the floor it will not only immobilize the jack but also avoid the point loading from the wheels.
Zeudog, the point of stress is on the wheel's rod
great point!
Or a 20 ton bottle jack. Stronger, no wheels and it's lighter to move around.
Pretty sure you should never do that, it has wheels to center the load, the jack moves not the car or post as it may be. It's the opposite of what you're thinking. If you put it on blocks as you jack it up the bottom of the beam would be moving to the side. It can break your jack or in the case of a car it will be trying to move your car sideways. Hope that makes sense to ya.
a car jack has hinged movement, if you don't allow it to scoot while jacking, it will create an angle with the beam which is dangerous
Whoa, I thought “trees” was industry slang for a beam in your last video, but those are actual tree trunks. Crazy.
LOL, RIGHT!
I thought the same thing, then I said holy crap, that's bark!!
Great timing! I just ordered a lally column to replace the rusted one in the basement. Sorry to hear I'll have to be sober to do this....can't win 'em all
Cheers Jim, Thanks for making me laugh.
What are the name of the post there on the box. Where do you by them. I’m gonna need three for a span of at least 25 ft. Your awesome by the way and amazing instruction. Glad I joined your page. BTW what’s the rule of thumb for placement of post. Every 7ft or what. Thanks again!
would you ever do a video on DIY repalcing a 1923 home 2 story house brick foundation with a new modern day foundation?
And I watch again before I start *sigh* wish me luck, and thank you!
Thank you, i have a sagging floor over basement And I had no idea how to level it
Any thoughts on replacing posts? Should I use a jack to lift the beam or just run temporary supports from floor to beam while I remove and replace the said post? Also worth noting that this post supports the corner gable end of my roof so... not as much load as your tree trunks
I would install the new one right next to the old. even if they are on a footing the footing is 2x2' so no worries. Cheers!
Your informative video was quite helpful... and my stress is reduced. Thank you!
I noticed you cranking the posts counter-clockwise to increase their height and push up against the wood joist. Is that standard for all floor jacks? I need to reduce the pressure under my support beam and thought a counter-clockwise turn would reduce the extension of the adjustment bolt.
People say that the slow jacking thing, but I never do. I just blast that sucker up in the air and it’s good 👍 if the wood is good enough to hold the house up it will be fine. I specialize in jacking and leveling homes in Ontario. Chris Wood Homes. Pretty good video.
Better to do this in summer/high humidity rather than winter to help prevent splitting of the wood?
Would I use this technique to replace a floor joist?
This video is great. I've got a sagging roof I need to prop up and I think this is just the way to do it.
Is there a specific placement or is it depend on the home? I’m doing a major foundation wall jack fix
First time I’ve seen Jeff using the PPe :)
That is nice to know as we have an old family home which needs to be jacked up and the cross member replaced in one area.
Cheers Sidney, Not as hard as you might think.,
What kind of jack post are folks using? Any recommendations?
I have purchased a house that was built in 1912. The basement has a variety of different home improvement left overs throughout the years including an old built in freezer with a compressor from the 1960', an old furnace from the 1940's with its updated counterpart from 2016.
Same leveling issues going on but also the concrete foundation is crumbling into dust.
Should I tackle the foundational issues then level the joists or tackel both at the same time?
Ok...this video was....amazing. seriously helpful and you just saved me 10 grand
Hi Christopher, happy to help!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY You seriously did. It's hard out here for a homeowner, I consider myself to be pretty handy and I DIY where I can ( and as long as it's within the law) , but sometimes you have to hire outside help ( specifically referencing your video on roughed in plumbing in the basement). Unfortunately, it seems more and more contractors in my area are taking a predatory stance towards we non licensed folk. It makes it hard to tell who I should trust when they quote a job. This fix ( that I've been doing on my own now) was quoted by 3 different contractors ranging from 2 grand to 11 k! So again, thank you for explaining it plainly.
Glad were helping you out and saving you some money! You should put that saved cash toward your next material list and maybe put $5 toward our memberships?? LOL... Just kidding Chris, you do you man, Thanks for the feedback! #Cheers
Jeff, would you please create a crash course on pier-and-beam foundation repairs? Or refer to a reliable source? Thank you 🙏
Wonderful video, may I know where did you buy the brace pole？
Great video as always.. one question though I have a home Built-in the 1920th Sections of the floor sag in certain areas after if I jack them up do I need to have a perminent poll put in? Or can I just leave the temporary support in For the wood to reset or would the floor start to sag again after removing temporary Support is removed
The post you put in, are they permanent or temporary? If there temporary, how do you take it out seeing as you nailed it to the cement. If it's permanent, should you lay cement on top of it?
Thank you for yr videos ....
I have a question ....we have a family home in newfoundland on the avalon....the house is approx 175 yrs old ...it is built on a rock foundation....the kitchen has dropped by about 2-4 inches and on top of the kitchen you have a bed room.....would the car jack system work for that as well over a time period of a few months ...bearing in mind theres only a two and a half foot crawl space ....
From past experiences, seeing beams like that gives me anxiety. I set up a laser level and set up floor jacks across any beam found sagging. I use 10 and 20 ton bottle jacks. I try to set up temporary supports and jack everything together. Crazy seeing what all leveling beams does upstairs! Good thing it wasn't in a crawl space!!
What kind of post can you use between the ceiling and the bottle jack that supports the floor? Yours is the only comment I've seen that mentions having 10 and 20 ton jacks, so I'm wondering what post is strong enough to compliment that