Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Help Leveling Home

I have a 65 yr old 900 sq.ft. single story home in Richmond, VA, with block under the out sides of the house and at major supporting wall areas. The house is settleing and the floors are very uneven throughout the house. I have a laser light level to level it with. My question is what means were used in house's of this area to attach the outside walls to the block Foundation. Is it feasible to just jack up the house and shim it to level? Any suggestions as to tricks or books which will help would be greatly appreciated.

Jerry (tr6r_mc)
tr6r_mc@hotmail.com

Normally the way this situation is resolved is jacking up the house and installing pilasters to the affected area. You will require a structual engineer to determine placement, how many and size of pilasters. There are other solutions the structual engineer may have once he examines the site. In either case, this should not be a great undertaking. Meaning to say, most solutions will not take that long or cost that much to do.

How long should it take to level a house under 1000 square feet and bolt the concrete foundation? One contractor said 10 days, another said one day. Seems a strange difference, even considering a difference in the size of the crew.

Also, one contractor found 3 minor cracks. The other found 5 major cracks. How can I tell what's minor and what's major by looking? The guy who found major cracks tried repeatedly to get me to sign a contract that very day--even though he never did give me a price--so that could have influenced his judgment.

What you want is the house level, it has very little to do with cracks in your case. The cracks are a result of something and not the solution. If you want to know what to do with cracks, that's a different story.

When it comes to house leveling, most contractors contact a structual engineer. The reason for that is the solution must meet building code. And it will never be approved if the solution was not given by a structual engineer. Now a contractor may know what to do, but without the signature of the structual engineer, no permit. Some contractors know the city engineer and propose a solution, that he agrees to and issues a permit.

The best advise I can give you is contact a structual engineer and ask for a solution. They are not very expensive and ask for him if he knows someone that can do the job. If you don't know how to contact one, then call the nearest engineering college by you and ask the Dean. He'd be more than happy to give you a list of names in your area.

There are other solutions, I'm using the pilasters as an example. Once the pilasters are installed, the load of the house is dramtically transfered to the pilasters and any cracks you may have in the walls become irrevalent to the structual integrity. Contractors are limited by their experience and revenue.

All engineers are problem solvers. We don't care how much it cost to do, as long as it's solved.

Mainly, I want the foundation bolted because of earthquakes. I assume that will take care of any problem with cracks in the foundation.

Many companies here specialize in bolting and leveling and they handle the permits.

I had read that leveling causes cracking in the walls. I mentioned this to the first contractor and he said yes, it does but didn't seem to think that was much of a problem. I got another estimate and that contractor acted as if the whole house is in jeopardy when it's leveled, with the possibility of major rips in walls and wood siding as well as broken windows.

The man who didn't act as if it's a big deal gave a low estimate on the bolting and a high estimate on the leveling. The man who warned against leveling gave a high estimate on bolting and a low estimate on leveling.

I'd do the bolting first and think about leveling later, except the leveling needs to be done first. Any opinions about the danger?

Clearly if the house has to be leveled, it has to be done first before you reinforce the house. Depending on how much the house has to be lifted will determine how many and size of cracks the house will experience when leveled. In most cases the cracks as a result of leveling a home are cosmetic and pose no real danger to the structual integrety of the home. When one reinforces a structure, such as in your case, the reinforcing works in conjunction with the other structual components of the home.


However, if some of the structual components of the house are faulty, such as cracks in foundation walls, then it must first be determined if those cracks impede the effectiveness of the reinforcing. Just because you have a crack or cracks in your foundation wall does not mean that your home is any less safer than your nieghbor's house.

Whoever you decide to correct your problem, that person should explain to you how and why, what they intend to do, will resolve your concerns. That's what this is all about, addressing your concerns. Merely stating that this will resolve the problem is insufficient. A detail explaination is warranted in this case, because of safety. You're not remodelling a bathroom. It is not an unreasonable request to ask the contractors to explain how and why their proposed solution resolves your concerns. In fact I feel that it's mandatory on their part.