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If you decide to replace a shallow foundation, begin by checking local building codes for foun­dation specs appropriate for your area. Before beginning foundation work, be sure to review this chapter’s earlier sections on shoring and jacking. Then survey the underside of the house and the area around the foundation for pipes, ducts, and other […]

To enlarge an existing load-bearing pad or create one where none was, you may need to cut through a concrete floor. Depending on the condition and thickness of that floor, the job will range from nasty to horrible. Cutting concrete is noisy, dirty, and dangerous; and the tools are heavy and unpredictable. Wear safety glasses, […]

When replacing a mudsill or sections of a foundation whose joists run perpendicular to that foundation wall (see p. 210), place a 4×8 or 4×10 carrying beam on edge under the house, within 2 ft. of the foundation. A jack every 6 ft. under the beam should suffice. When joists run parallel to the foundation […]

For safe jacking, you need to proceed slowly and observe the following precautions. Preparatory steps ► Survey the building, noting structural failings and their probable causes as well as which walls are load bearing. Also determine whether joists or beams are deflecting because of heavy furniture, such as a piano; which pipes, ducts, or wires […]

Determine the cause of the crack and fix that first; otherwise the crack may recur. Shallow foundation cracks less than % in. wide are usually caused by normal shrinkage and needn’t be patched, unless their appearance disturbs you or they leak water. However, you should repair any cracks that go all the way through the […]

Jacking refers to raising or lowering a building so you can repair or replace defective framing or failed foundations or to level a house that has set­tled excessively. Shoring refers to a temporary system of posts, beams, and other structural ele­ments that support building loads. Temporary is the crucial word: Shoring supports the building between […]

Most foundations that fail were poorly designed, poorly constructed, or subjected to changes— especially hydrostatic pressure or soil movement —that exceeded their load-bearing capacities. Exact causes are often elusive.

In many parts of North America, building codes don’t require steel reinforcement in concrete foundations, but steel is a cost-effective means of avoiding cracks caused by lateral pressure on foundation walls. Steel reinforcement and fasteners. Steel re­inforcing bar (rebar) basically carries and distrib­utes loads within the foundation, transferring the loads from high-pressure areas to lower-pressure […]

Foundation issues before starting extensive remedial work, such as replacing failed foundation sections or adding a second story to your house, have a structural engi­neer evaluate your foundation. In addition, bring in a soils engineer if the site slopes steeply or if the foundation shows any of the following dis­tress signs: bowing, widespread cracking, uneven […]

If you want to add a door or window to a brick wall, hire a structural engineer to see if that’s feasible. If so, hire an experienced mason to create the opening; this is not a job for a novice. If the house was built in the 1960s or later, the wall will likely be […]