Foundation Repair Photo Album: Crawl Space Support in Chapel Hill

This Chapel Hill home is almost 100 years old. The new owners were told by the home inspector the house was supported on rocks. Calling foundation experts was the next step. One of our inspectors went out to check the situation. The crawl space was very short, which is common for the 1930's, and they used whatever was around to support the home; cut tree post, rocks, and brick. Over time the floors have started to sag, doors and windows are no longer lined up or square.

Unique Support

Over time attempts have been made to support the floor; adding bricks and additional post.

Tree Stump

We even found a tree stump just below the floor.

Bare wood and Mold

No insulation or barrier between this home and the outside elements. Mold is evident on the joist.

Steel Beam and Smart Jack

A steel beam is added to support the floor above and a Smart Jack to hold the weight.

Smart Jack

A solid piece of equipment to support the joist of the home in the low spots.

Sister Joist

This joist had significant wood rot and could not provide much support. A Sister joist was installed, supported by a Smart Jack.

Corner Stone

The foundation corner was literally a pile of stones and a wood wedge/shim. Adding a jack adds a permanent lift to this corner.

Low Crawl

Part of this crawl space is very short leaving no room for support. The wood that supports the home is exposed to multiple dangerous elements, ground water being one of them. This exposure allows mold, mildew, and wood rot to take hold.