"Alan McKay" wrote in message
.. .
Folks,

I've got a bit of a saggy floor in my 130 year old home, and want to
jack it a bit. I've already had a structural engineer look at it and he
told me what has to be done, but not how to do it.

I've got to put 12 feet of 6" I-beam in, with 3 posts. OK, easy.
I need a good hydralic jack. Ok, easy.

But how to I rig up the jack? Do I have to build up a bunch of
wood (2 pieces this way, 2 pieces at 90 degree, and so on)
until I am high enough where the jack fits in under the ibeam?
Then jack it, adjust the posts?
That seems the obvious way to me.

That is the traditional way. If the floor is real solid, a long pipe may
work also, in lieu of some of the timbers. Just wanna make sure it can't
shift and shoot sideways and KILL you. Check local rental center, and see
what they have in stock- you need more than a typical truck jack, and you
don't wanna buy these for just one job. Best to use several jacks, and lots
of spreader beams across several joists. (You DO know you don't use the
I-beam to jack with, right? You raise the house up, install the beam with
proper supports at correct height, and set the house back down on it.
Fractions of an inch clearance and all that.) Just for laughs, compare
rental costs to what a house moving/ foundation restore company would
charge. If you have all the beam and post materials on site, and can make a
road to get the beam in (typically a small hole in top of foundation), they
may not charge too much. This is how they completely raise a house to move
it, so setting one piddly little beam would be trivial for them. Be aware
that a concrete floor isn't enough- you will probably have to punch holes in
the slab, and put in footers under where the posts will go. A PITA, but not
hard technically. You also need a solid link from the beam to the foundation
walls, typically a notch the beam rests in.

aem sends....