[blueion2]

Hi,

I'm about to undertake a project on my home and my wife thought it'd be a great idea to do some research and get some input on the matter before we actually attempt it, even though I've already done this a few times. A little about myself: I've worked in marine construction for the past 6 years building boathouses, bulkheads, piers, decks, installing boatlifts, etc. I've built a few sheds, a 3 story house that was originally supposed to be a shed for trailers and some remodeling. Anyway. A little about the project. A few years ago we built a 400 sq ft addition to the back side of our house. The room is @16x25. Over the course of the last few years I've noticed the room has decided to sink a little. My plan is to use two 6ton hydraulic jacks, one on each stringer and raise the room back to level and block it with cinder blocks. Any questions, advice, something I may be forgetting?

[rss021815]

Why did it sink in the first place? If you block to the same foundation is it going to sink again and you are back with more blocks in 2 years? I'd figure out why the foundation sunk in the first place and fix that first.

[blueion2]

When we built the room, we used 4x6 posts, cemented in the ground. Those two posts in the middle on the outside wall are the only two that seem to have moved at all. I attempted this project once before just to see what kind of problem I really had. As I jacked up the stringers (maybe 1/2") I noticed that the 4x6 came up with the room, even though someone forgot to bolt those stringers to the post. Surprisingly though, the nails held. So if the post moves with the building, my guess is that the ground was soft in that area as we've had a ton of rain from thunderstorms and hurricanes in the last two years, or maybe the concrete cracked or maybe it just didn't hold. The rest of the posts seem to be holding fine. I haven't noticed anymore movement in the last 6 months or so, but standing in the room or even walking accross the room you can tell its not right. Hopefully this will be just what I need to fix the problem. Since this has happened, the french doors going out back do not close properly, and there are small cracks at the top of the side walls where they meet the original brick wall. Also, if you stand in the back yard and look at the eve of the roof, you can see that it sags right in that area.

[rss021815]

Hmmmmm I think to be safe you should consult a pro if nothing more than a sanity check. I'd hate to see the room go all poltergeist (the movie) and fall in on itself.