Replacing Jack Posts
My house is sagging. It may or may not be serious, but I’d like to get someone to look at my cellar (where I have jack posts – not up to code). Who can look at this and who can put in new (proper) support posts? Thanks for the help.
My house is sagging. It may or may not be serious, but I’d like to get someone to look at my cellar (where I have jack posts – not up to code). Who can look at this and who can put in new (proper) support posts? Thanks for the help.
Structural engineers willing to look at small brownstones are hard to find. I will call Kevin. Anyone else? And isn’t there someone who can both do the work, and assess?
I have a very similar issue, with the non-code support posts in the basement. The house is solid brick, 1922, 20 ft wide and is not noticeably sagging. But the pre-purchase inspector did say this arrangement of non-code posts should be rectified.
My GC (who, for better or worse is a family member) says both that there’s no reason to fix it, and that if you were to fix it in the future, which would of course involve digging up the basement floor to pour cement footings, that this would in fact not jeopardize any newly finished elements, such as tile floors/walls or skim coated plaster. The inspector meanwhile had said, do this first, so if there’s any movement as a result, you don’t crack the new plaster, window seals, etc.
So I guess my question is, does this seem reasonable? Specifically, any comments about leaving it as is, since it’s not ailing, and also whether doing the proper support method in the future would in fact not risk cracking things upstairs?
I m a bit worried that GC is just not interested in that particular project, and wants to prioritize other things (e.g. finishing baths and kitchens) that are underway.
By all means do not go the cheapskate route. Hire a structural engineer.
Oh! If you’re going to start propping up the house, and moving things around, of course you should consult a structural engineer. By all means.
We tried to hire a structural engineer for this, and every one said the job was too small and do it ourselves.
We eventually found a guy who specializes in this, but actually, he did use jack things and didn’t pour a cement foundation for them. One of his brothers is an architect, the other an expediter, and he is a sort of foreman. He was busy with another job but I think that might have ended now. The architect expediter firm is Guerreros Inc. on Wyckoff in Bushwick, and the foreman is Irving Maldonado. His number is 718-678-4986. He is very precise, careful, fast, and reasonably priced. You have to go with him to the lumber supply.
Hire a good structural engineer.