Proper Procedure Of Supporting Floor Joists In A Crawl Space
If in case the portion of your floor that is directly over & above your crawl space gives off an energetic and lively feel as soon as you walk on it, then there is all possibility that your crawl space has lost its structural integrity, which in turn leads to sagging as well as sinking in the middle. If the floor joists and girders over your crawl space are sinking, it could be because of rot damage, or that the structural foundations are spaced too far apart. In order to solve this problem, you will need to install extra supports, which could be in the form of lally columns. On the other hand, structural support jacks can also be used, which can help restore floor inflexibility as well as structural integrity. Go through the below-mentioned steps carefully, if you are looking to accurately install joist support jacks in your crawl space:
- Establish The Installation Points: First of all, determine the installation points, which are entirely dependent on how large your crawl space is as well as the span of the floor joists above it. You can calculate & evaluate the points at which you will need to install additional support.
- Make Your Concrete Footings: After establishing the installation points where you’ll install your support jacks, now, it is time to make your concrete footings at each installation point by digging out two-square foot holes that are two feet deep. Then, fill in the holes with the help of compacted, crushed stone and level them out using pre-cast concrete footing. The compacted, crushed stones beneath each footing ensure rigid & inflexible support that is not susceptible & prone to shifting and settling.
- Measure The Distance Between Footings And The Joists: Next, calculate & evaluate the distance betwixt the footings and the joists above, while trimming out the structural support jacks as per taken measurements.
- Install Floor Joists: After trimming out your jack posts, place or fix each of them at the suitable or proper spots, with the top end contacting the girders as well as the base end fixed into the concrete footing.
How Do You Reinforce A Crawl Space Foundation?
In order to provide extra structural support for your crawl space foundation, you can use the fixes mentioned below:
- Install Additional Beams: Adding steel or wooden beam/jacks will help facilitate proper weight reallocating all over the floor frame, which in turn takes the pressure off the floor joists above your crawl space, as a result reversing the collapsing/sinking effect.
- Install Sister Joists: If in case the floor joists in your crawl space do not have enough support or are too small, you, in all likelihood, will experience a bouncy and sinking floor. This problem can be solved by installing sister joists having an extra joist of equal dimensions, which is also known as the ‘double-up reinforcement’ method. Sistering joists is regarded as one of the great ways when it comes to improving the structural integrity of the floor above your crawl space.
- Overlay The Subfloor: Sometimes, it is possible that the floor above your crawl space could be sagging, but this can be due to a problem with the subfloor, not the floor joists. If your subfloor is composed of thin, wooden boards that can’t bear or hold up the weight of the house, then it is strongly recommended to overlay them with extra structural support material, including plywood boards or Oriented Strand Boards (OSB), due to the reason that both are known for their structural strength.
- Block The Floor Joists: This method involves the installation of rows of wooden blocks betwixt the joists in order to facilitate uniform weight distribution among the floor joists. Blocking is considered the best option that works exceptionally well when the supporting lumber pieces are trimmed out to the same size as the joists they are supporting, and when the blocks are placed or fixed from wall-to-wall.