Hey everyone, I'm in a tough situation with my parents' house, which seems to be crumbling. The main support beam for the floor joists is damaged, and since the house was built by my grandfather back in the 50s, it's in pretty rough shape. My parents can't afford to move or pay for repairs, so I've offered to help out. I was thinking about replacing the broken beam with a steel one and then taking up the top floor to fix and brace the joists from above. But I'm not sure if that's the best approach. Has anyone dealt with something similar, and do you have suggestions besides calling in a pro?
3 Answers
You might also consider sistering new boards to either side of the existing joists. Just keep in mind you’ll need to put in new cinder block piers every six feet after you dig and pour footers for them. It’s tough work, and it can get pretty back-breaking, but it’s a solid method.
Even worse with minimal room to crawl around.
Honestly, you might need a structural engineer and a general contractor to handle this. It sounds dangerous, and professionals can ensure it’s done safely and correctly.
From what you've described, it sounds like you’re going to have to work from above for safety. I had a similar issue with my parents' old country home. I had to cut up the floors to properly fix the joists. It was a lot of hard work, but I managed to sister new boards to the joists and even added some jacks to level things up. It took me months, but it was worth it in the end for both the structural integrity and some impressive upgrades. Just take your time and make sure to cut from the top; trying to do it from underneath isn't really feasible in these cases.
Thank you. It’s nice to know it’s feasible.
Thank you for the reply. It’s a small house, so I have that going for me. I have a week of vacation dedicated to this. I think I can tackle it section by section and hopefully the house holds up until then.