Structural Repair in Crawl Spaces - Crawlspace Foundation Repairs Hampton Roads VA

Just like everything else, homes are supported from bottom to top. Everything starts with the foundation. For homes with a crawl space, the foundation includes both the continuous perimeter footing that supports the house's outside walls and individual footings that support the piers that carry the floor framing.

The footings are designed to support the home with minimal movement. In other words, the foundation is not supposed to move. So, if you want to diagnose your home structurally, we first want to look for cracks or unevenness in the floors.

So here’s the first rule of thumb in structural repair: Cracking and uneven floors tell us there has been movement. Now that we know there has been movement and don’t want movement, we need to find out what has moved.

It’s essential to accurately diagnose what has moved. Was it the foundation failing, the pier settling, the beams starting to bow, the wood members compressing under the weight of the home, the floor joists starting to sag, the wood rotting, or were the supports just installed in the wrong place when the house was built?

With an accurate structural drawing, you can understand how the house is constructed and how different areas of your home are being supported. The drawing is critical for a good diagnosis. Once you have a good drawing, it’s not hard to understand where the problems are coming from. Sometimes, multiple factors come into play, and we may need various solutions if that makes sense.

The second rule of thumb in structural repair is that if something is moving, it doesn’t have enough support and needs more support. Simple enough, right?

There are only so many good options for adding support; each option addresses an individual source of the problem. So, if the foundation is settling, we should install foundation support like a push pier.

We recommend additional floor supports with a new supplemental beam if the joists are sagging. That’s actually what we have installed here. You’re looking at a Titan Adjustable Crawl Jack designed to stabilize the structure and give us the best opportunity for correction and lift.

If a pier is settling or a beam is bowing, we use the Titan Crawl Jacks to stabilize the existing beam and attempt correction.

Now, let’s say a beam is rotten and may need to be replaced, and if a joist has had moisture damage, it may need to be sistered. So a joist sister, for those who are just hearing the term, is when you install an identical-sized joist next to the damaged joist to restore strength to that damaged joist.

Moisture can also damage sill plates; they should be replaced if possible. Finally, if the subfloor needs more support and it doesn’t make sense to tear up the floors from above to replace it, it can be supported from underneath with subfloor plating.

This has been a brief overview of crawl space repair in crawl spaces to give you an idea of the big picture. There is much more to cover to go into depth on any of the subjects covered, but I hope this has helped.

Our company, Bay Crawl Space & Foundation Repair, offers free inspections from highly trained inspectors. Please feel free to call us if you have any concerns about your crawl space, foundation, or basement, and we’ll take great care of you.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask them in the comment section below. We will keep the conversation going! Thanks for joining, and have a great day!

Call 757-460-0444 to schedule your FREE inspection from the trusted foundation and crawlspace leader in VA & NC. Visit us online: https://www.baycrawlspace.com/get-your-free-estimate/