Question: Is there anyway I can stabilize wobbly areas in my house without having to pay a foundation company $2,000 to do the whole house? I need to do this until I can save up enough to pay a pro.
Answer: You are going to have to tell us more about the problem. Are the piers crumbling? Are the beams cracked? What are the piers made of? Do they sit on footings? How high off the ground are you?
Question: From what I can see in some areas the cement blocks have moved and are no longer stabilizing the outer area's of the house. I don't know about the beams, I can't see way under the house. As far as how high I am above the ground....at the front of the house I am pretty close to the ground, but the ground slopes and by the time you get the back of the house I would say we are about 3 feet or a little more off the ground.
Answer: There are some pages that I have put together on my website for jacking up homes. However, those pages are based on jacking in the basement or crawlspace and you really don't have room to do that. You need solid ground to do the jacking, in your case you will need to rent some steel plates about 4' square, at least 3/4 " thick to place on the ground. Place the steel plates on the ground, remove any grass or loam and place the jack on the plate under the house about 2' from the problem. Jack until the jack is tight, then jack about an 1/8 inch at a time until the building is off the current support and being supported by the jack. You will then have to dig down to install a footer, and then a column to support the structure, this page is for deck foundations, but the it applies to a home as well. The columns have to be level, I suggest you use a laser level, they are relatively inexpensive. You have to be extremely careful, the house is only supported by the jack and you will be digging, don't allow yourself to be under the structure unless you are a 110% sure that it is stable.
Additional information on repairing sagging floors
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- Converting A Small Log Outbuilding As A Part-Time Habitat
- Applying A textured Ceiling
- Installing A Ceiling Medallion
- Damaged Baseboard
- Miter Joint Separate
- Quantity Of Plies In Plywood?
- Jacking A Damaged Beam
- Repairing Potholes In An Asphalt Driveway
- Using Cantilevers
- Crown Molding Installation
- Redoing Floor On Front Porch
- Replacing Cracked Bricks
- Foundation Wall Cracks
- Adding A Basement Underneath A House
- Jacking Up A Floor
- Constructing Rooms In A Clear Span Building
- Floor Bounce
- Removing Skim Coat From Basement Walls
- Pier & Beam Foundation Problem