Have you noticed that the floors of your home appear uneven? Structural problems, such as sagging beams, settling columns, or fatigued floor joists, are all too common in a crawlspace. When the support beams of your home are exposed to moisture in the crawl space, these issues tend to arise.
Sagging beams and floor joists are commonly caused by the improper spacing of the existing pier columns. By placing pier columns too far apart, beams can become overloaded, forcing them to bend and sag. This leads to sagging floors above, cracks in the walls, and a variety of other foundation issues.
Rebuilding the crawl space is not necessarily the best option for a crawl space repair; there are installations that can be done in a day or two’s time that will both reinforce the structure and potentially return the floor to its original position.
1. Place Floor Support Jacks
One solution is to use a floor support jack. Crawl space support jacks are steel piers that are used to underpin the failing floor joists. The support jacks provide the floor with the support it needs to stay even. When the floor jack is adjusted tightly, this will help to prevent your floor from sagging.
Our team at American Eagle Professional Services uses a patented system of crawl space support jacks which are designed to withstand the weight of an entire home. Installed directly into your crawl space area, these support jacks are placed methodically to support the beams that are sagging. Once installed the support jacks are raised to level your home and to permanently support and even out your uneven floors.
2. Add Floor Joists
Floor joists support your floor above the crawl space. They’re an essential element of the structure of your home. A home that does not sit directly on a concrete slab will have a crawl space or basement. These kinds of homes almost always use a floor joist support system.
If you are experiencing sagging due to floor joist issues, an option is to install sister joists alongside the existing joist. A sister joist is a new joist installed alongside the damaged joist. Sistering allows the new, healthy ‘’sister’’ joists to take some load off the damaged joist. You can also strengthen floor joists from beneath by installing additional beams. More beams mean less pressure on the joists.
This kind of system provides weight-bearing support. In fact, floor joists support everything in your home. The joist themselves are horizontal framing members. They make up the skeleton of the frame of your floor.
3. Getting Help With Foundation Problems
It’s natural to have concerns about cracked, sagging or twisted floor joists in your home or property. If you see these problems, the best thing that you can do is to contact the experts at American Eagle Professional Services. We will inspect your floor and recommend any needed strengthening measures, and give you an idea of floor joist repair cost.
Our team at American Eagle Professional Services can fix your sagging floors permanently for a reasonable cost. We use a patented floor jacking system to raise and support your support beams right where they are sinking.
Trust Our Team For Crawl Space Encapsulation Services
Our team of experts provides superior crawl space repair. If you are in need of crawl space waterproofing and encapsulation, contact us today by filling out our online contact form or by calling (410) 263-9682 to schedule an inspection and appointment. We also have resources that will help you understand what crawl space encapsulation is and how you can maintain your crawl space.
