"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.


I used screw jacks bought from a truck supply store. Used lengths of
pipe slipped over the handles to give enough leverage. Raised the
joists a couple of clicks a week until there was positive camber. Let
the joists relax on a brick wall added to transfer load to ground.

If your steel beam is intended as the final support, jacking against
it will prevent crushing the wood. Did the engineer tell you what
area of floor the new columns will need to support the weight of the
beam and house? I used a brick wall because it worked architecturally
and spread the load out over a wide area.

Tom Baker