I recently bought a house that has an addition, and I discovered that the previous owners had cut a hole in the cinder block wall for access underneath the addition. Now, the top of the wall is bowing down, and I've noticed some minor shifting in the main floor, probably causing some paint to chip off. I'm not quite sure how to handle this situation aside from calling a structural engineer. Any advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Before jumping into installing a header, can you confirm if that’s the last course of block you’re looking at? If it keeps going up, you might need to consider some additional support.
Definitely put in a header for support! It's a fairly straightforward fix. If you're already seeing bowing, just know you might need to gently jack it back into place before framing it out.
It looks like you'll need to install a header beam across that opening to support the weight correctly. This can be a steel or wooden beam that should fit in notches on either side of the wall or be supported by vertical posts. It's important to frame the whole area correctly. I suggest filling the bottom level with concrete first, then using steel framing anchored to stabilize a steel member at the top. Once that's done, you'd need to jack it up to get everything level again before securing it in place. Still, reaching out to a local structural engineer for professional guidance would be a smart move!