Good evening.
I have a doubled 2x10 joist in my basement with a 4x4 post supporting it partway along its span. The post carries quite a bit of weight, as evidenced by the fact that it has crushed the wood along the lower chord of the joist by about 3/16". The post is also not fastened to the basement floor, so I am not happy with this arrangement.
The doubled joist runs parallel to the other floor joists; it is not a beam that supports the joists. But it is critical, as there is a loadbearing wall directly above and parallel to it.
I want to replace the post with a loadbearing wall. My question is, how can I safely support the joist (and the loadbearing wall above it) while I do this?
Thanks
-Mark