I just moved into a new home and noticed that the floor is sagging because someone cut out a 2-foot section of the floor joist. They've tried to fix it by adding a piece that's about an inch off the joist and secured it with three pieces of 2x10 running perpendicular to the floor, but I'm not sure that's a solid solution. I don't mind if the floor is slightly uneven, but this doesn't seem right to me. I'm considering possible remediation options, but it looks like jacking and adding supports would be tricky because of the uneven terrain below. I'm looking for advice on the best way to handle this and any suggestions would be appreciated!
1 Answer
The best approach is probably to use jacks. If the area beneath the house is uneven dirt, you should level that dirt as a first step. You could either pour a concrete pad or use a robust precast concrete paver as a base for one or more columns or house jacks. Just remember to do it slowly, adjusting the level gradually over a few weeks until it’s stable and level. After that, you can reinforce the cut joists. They even sell adjustable jack posts in different lengths based on what you need!
Would you just form a concrete pad on top of the dirt? Or dig out some earth to inlay the form in the ground?