i am looking at buying a 1923 farm house. the problem i am having is that there is a section on the main floor that slopes from the wall (outside) to the middle of the floor - about 10 feet. the rest of the floor in the house is fine. inspector says that it's just settled and since the posts under the floor seem solid it appears to have stopped. question is what is a ballpark figure to have a contractor level this out?
thx!
How much does it slope - how many inches over how many feet. Is the lower part at the outside perimeter of the house with the higher part in the middle of the house, or vice versa ? Is there evidence of past termite problems ?
A qualified contractor should determine whether it's feasible and advantageous to level it out, that is, if you level it does it create more problems than it solves. Personally, if there's a lot of slope I would want to pay a real contractor to look at it. Inspectors may or may not know what they're talking about, my last one didn't, as it turns out
This stuff can get nasty. Before you purchase the house, get a firm quote from the best contractor in the area who does this kind of work. Des
A lot of it depends on what is under the floor. I had an 1884 house with a significant dip in the living room floor. If I put a marble anywhere I the room, it would roll to the middle of the room.
Solution was tripled 2x10 with 6x6 posts about 6ft. on center set on mud blocks in the basement. Unfortunately, it was a long time ago and I don't remember the cost. But when it was done, the kids could jump un and down and nothing bounced.
Another option would be jack columns.
This all requires that the basement floor is concrete and not dirt. A dirt floor would require some kind of concrete footers to help carry the load.
____________________ Bill Waller New Eagle, PA
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Why would you want to do that?
If the settling is stopped and the present floor is stable then you may find it easier to build up the floor at the low end than it is to try and jack up the entire floor structure itself.
With some carefully (thin and long) cut shim boards in the low area and new
4x8 floor sheathing you can probably achieve a reasonably level surface with a very low profile.If the slope is not too bad and the floor surface is worth showing, then you might just call it the character of the house.
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