On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:50:22 -0800, Ook Don't send me any freakin' spam at
zootal dot com delete the Don't send me any freakin' spam wrote:

The previous owner of the house I own replaced the main beam. The beam is
supported by 4-5 metal supports that appear to be adjustable. The floor in
the main level of the house slopes upwards towards where the beam, by as
much as an inch or two. I'm thinking that I can lower the main beam by an
inch or so and level the floor. Does this sound feasible? Is this a very bad
thing to do, or might I be sucessfull in leveling the floor without hurting
anything?

Out here on the shifting unstable permafrost, in the flat, treeless tundra
of western Alaska, we are constantly re-leveling our buildings. Most here
are very familiar with the process.

Here, the frost is more than 500 feet deep, and during the summer, only the
very surface thaws. In order to maintain this delicate balance, all
buildings are built on stilts so cold air can get under them in the winter.
This prevents the building heat from deeply melting the permafrost. The
stilts on small buildings, such as houses, rest on wood pads that sit on
the surface of the ground. Because of this, it is easy to get under
buildings with hydraulic jacks.

Here are some of the things I know. Walls and floors become stressed and
may crack, doors and windows get out of alignment, pipes break, etc., when
the building is becoming un-level-when it is settling, not when you are
re-leveling it. When you re-level it, the cracks close, the doors and
windows work properly, and stress on plumbing pipes is relieved. That¢s why
you do it.

Of course, re-leveling must be done carefully.

So in your case, assuming all of your walls were built and your doors were
installed when your floor was level, careful re-leveling will probably
prevent problems, not create new ones.