Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Novice Shoring Up a Finished Porch
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Glennski
10-08-05, 09:47 PM
We just got a 1950's woodframe house with a (slanted!), finished room that used to be a porch. The finished porch is about 20ft x 7ft. Underneath is an earth-floor crawlspace. How can I shore up the room to make the floor stronger? I can see only a couple of 4x4's holding it up. It appears solid from above, but looks pretty undependable and rickety from down below.
Want to put a heavy refrigerator on top of that finished enclosed porch. Also, I am considering putting in a concrete floor underneath, to help get rid of the earthy smell to indoors.
My question is, what's a good way to make the floor stronger. Will I need to jack up the floor in order to put more 4x4's in? Am I playing with fire here? thanks
Want to put a heavy refrigerator on top of that finished enclosed porch. Also, I am considering putting in a concrete floor underneath, to help get rid of the earthy smell to indoors.
My question is, what's a good way to make the floor stronger. Will I need to jack up the floor in order to put more 4x4's in? Am I playing with fire here? thanks
lefty
10-09-05, 04:48 AM
Get estimates from a couple or three contractors and leave it to one of them.
Leveling the floor means you are going to have to lift the entire room and whatever roof is above it. To KEEP it level means installing footings.
You probably don't have the right equipment to tackle the project, and buying that equipment will probably cost more than what a contractor will charge to do it.
Leveling the floor means you are going to have to lift the entire room and whatever roof is above it. To KEEP it level means installing footings.
You probably don't have the right equipment to tackle the project, and buying that equipment will probably cost more than what a contractor will charge to do it.
Glennski
11-12-05, 12:03 AM
Thanks Lefty. My post wasn't very clear I am afraid. The fact that the floor is not level is not a problem; the room above the floor is finished and looks professional except of course for the slight slant; after all it is a modified porch.
The *real* need I have is to make sure the floor is strong enough to hold a heavy refrigerator. So I'm trying to figure out just how to make a design for the heavy lumber that is needed to put into the crawlspace underneath. (Have a .jpg image I'd like to post to show you, is there a way I can get it uploaded?) thanks again -gski
The *real* need I have is to make sure the floor is strong enough to hold a heavy refrigerator. So I'm trying to figure out just how to make a design for the heavy lumber that is needed to put into the crawlspace underneath. (Have a .jpg image I'd like to post to show you, is there a way I can get it uploaded?) thanks again -gski
dwcurry
11-12-05, 07:10 AM
Many on these sites use photobucket.com to post pictures. It is free and all you do is copy the URL into you messages.
http://www.photobucket.com/
Don
http://www.photobucket.com/
Don
lefty
11-13-05, 05:49 PM
Like dwcurry said, post the photos on a site like photobucket, then post the URL in here.
"A couple of 4X4's holding it up." Are those 4X4's the posts, a couple of beams, or what?
"A couple of 4X4's holding it up." Are those 4X4's the posts, a couple of beams, or what?