I'm in the process of buying a house and I've come across jackposts in both the garage and basement. I'm wondering if these should raise any red flags about the purchase. When we had the inspection done, the inspector noted that there are two permanent-looking jackposts. The current owners said these have been there since they bought the house in 2000, and the house was built in 1981. In the basement, the jackpost is located inside a closet and I couldn't find any anchorage. The one in the garage also lacks an anchorage to the concrete slab, and I noticed some visible cracking around its base. Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of the house with these issues?
4 Answers
Yeah, jackposts can hold a lot of weight, especially without a footing underneath them, so it’s good to consult a structural engineer. Cracking in the concrete likely means there’s some stress there, and you want to make sure it’s not a bigger problem.
We have similar jackposts in our garage and basement, and they’ve been fine. The structural engineer I consulted mentioned that they're normal, even if they’re not up to current code. What really matters is the cracking you mentioned—how extensive is it? If it's minor, it might not be a big deal, but you should check the severity of that cracking around the jackpost.
I would recommend against buying the house without getting a foundation expert to take a look first. Consider hiring an HVAC expert too for a complete picture before making any decisions.
Jackposts usually support beams, so it's crucial to know what they’re carrying. If they're holding up important structural elements, that's normal, but if that's unclear, you need to investigate further. You might need to remove some ceiling material to see what's really going on, but the current homeowners may not be okay with that until the sale goes through.
There’s just slight cracking underneath the jackpost in the garage. Since it’s a slab on grade with no footing, I don’t think it’s too bad, especially considering the jackpost’s age.