Need some advice on my house.

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ProjectBazza

ProjectBazza

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I'm replacing the soffits, fascias, and gutters myself on our new (to us) house, and last night, just as it was getting dark, I think I ran into an "issue".

Picture of the back of our house taken this past spring below, and do you see those 6x6 (or 8x8?) posts holding the sun room and deck over on the right?

house.jpg


I can't say this with any certainty, but I think those posts have "kicked-out" a small amount (house was built in '96). Or at least that's what I think I saw last night (and I'll drop a plumb bob when I get home this afternoon).

Here's my question: If the footing for these posts has shifted (sandy, loose soil), who do I contact to fix this? A GC? A foundation specialist? A concrete guy? I mean, the entire sun room is going to have to be supported to fix this...if I'm seeing what I think I saw.

I can do a lot on a house, but not this.

Thanks!

Jim
 
I would probably get in touch with a foundation company. If the soil is loose and there are no concrete pilings to support it, or if there are and  they have shifted, it could be a potentially dangerous situation.
 
Measure the windows; looking for level sills, plumb sides, and equidistant diagonals. If they pass;
Move to where the walls meet the main house;
on the outside, look for buckled siding.
on the inside, look for cracked drywall joints.

I'm no engineer, but IMO, if there are no concrete friction piers under those wooden columns, somebody deserves a punch in the head. and
IMO, there should have been more than just those three skinny columns out there; and THEN!, is the deck out back attached to the Sunroom?
Ima thinking it's time to call a structural engineer, followed by someone who knows code.
But I'm just a lawnmower mechanic........... what the 'ell do I know.

BTW, what are all those lumps in the tree-branches, in the back?
 
missing linc said:
I would probably get in touch with a foundation company. If the soil is loose and there are no concrete pilings to support it, or if there are and  they have shifted, it could be a potentially dangerous situation.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Randy, and I agree that this could be dangerous.

I've remodeled (repaired? rebuilt?) 3 houses in my life (this is my 4th), but I've never had to deal with this kind of thing before, so I'm really at a loss.
 
A plumb bob would work. So would a level and check for plumb. A 4 footer would be best. Those posts need a secure footing. I would add a pair between the existing posts and the house. A little extra strength is a good thing. I don't see any ties between them either. That would never fly here.
 
AJ/FormS said:
Measure the windows; looking for level sills, plumb sides, and equidistant diagonals. If they pass;
Move to where the walls meet the main house;
on the outside, look for buckled siding.
on the inside, look for cracked drywall joints.

I'm no engineer, but IMO, if there are no concrete friction piers under those wooden columns, somebody deserves a punch in the head. and
IMO, there should have been more than just those three skinny columns out there; and THEN!, is the deck out back attached to the Sunroom?
Ima thinking it's time to call a structural engineer, followed by someone who knows code.
But I'm just a lawnmower mechanic........... what the 'ell do I know.
Click to expand...
Windows in the sun room are rotted and need to be replaced (previous owners left them open in the rain), but some of them are a little difficult to open and close....

Interior of the sun room is knotty pine, so no way to tell if there's cracking going on there.

Exterior is shitty (and mis-installed!) aluminum siding, and that was going to be one of next years projects.

As for what's under those posts/columns, I have no idea, as that area has now been converted to one of my wife's gardens. But I'm not afraid to dig it up...

And, yes. The deck is attached to the sun room, and come to think of it, that door doesn't work properly.

Do Structural Engineers "specialize"? I deal with PE's and ME's quite a bit, and I know they do (specialize), but I've never dealt with a Structural Engineer before.

Thanks!
 
toolmanmike said:
A plumb bob would work. So would a level and check for plumb. A 4 footer would be best. Those posts need a secure footing. I would add a pair between the existing posts and the house. A little extra strength is a good thing. I don't see any ties between them either. That would never fly here.
Click to expand...
If this house was located about 25 miles further "in" towards Mpls it might not pass either, I don't think.

But we're "out in the sticks" just a bit, and while the homes being built around us today today are probably inspected more (better?), based on what I've found I think this place just received cursory "drive-by" inpections when it was built back in '96.
 
AJ/FormS said:
That's NOT good and may be indicative of a physical problem. Dare I say , probably is? I see dollarbills, tugging on the bank-vault doors...........
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm starting to think the same.

We bought the house from the original owners, and to be honest we got a helluva deal on it as we were the only bidders willing to be flexible on our move-in date, as both of them were going into assisted living facilities and they didn't know when there would be an opening, or when they would be accepted.

And we also knew that they hadn't done much in the way of maintenance, and we were ok with that....

So we budgeted for some of the things I can't do (or no longer want to do), like the roof....

But this may just kill all of those repairs for a while.
 
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You can investigate "scew piles" I believe that they are code. They have many different load factors depending on your needs. I built a complete drive shed on them.

IMG_3577.JPG


IMG_3603.JPG
 
Yes, go find a structural engineer. He may be able to make some fairly easy repair suggestions or even tell you (after some calculations) that you may only need some additional columns/braces.
 
68gtxman said:
Yes, go find a structural engineer. He may be able to make some fairly easy repair suggestions or even tell you (after some calculations) that you may only need some additional columns/braces.
Click to expand...
My boss knows a couple Structural Engineers, and he sent me their contact info. Called both yesterday/Friday, now just waiting to hear back from them.
 
Would the original builders have had to file permits for the construction of the home? Could reviewing those documents show how those 4x4s are anchored in the soil? Won't solve your problem by looking at the documents but at least will show what was done.
 
AJ/FormS said:
That's NOT good and may be indicative of a physical problem. Dare I say , probably is? I see dollarbills, tugging on the bank-vault doors...........
Click to expand...

I have to agree with lawnmower man. :D

Around here they would tell you to dig down at least 18 inches deep and wide and fill with concrete for the footers, as well as diagonal brace between the studs.
 
After emptying the room, heavy duty bottle jacks can be rented to shore it up on concrete pads on sand between the existing posts, then after the repair and a month for the concrete to fully cure, cut out or unscrew the shoring. Shoring can be block, appropriately rated screw jacks, or 4x4 posts.
 
im thinking the slope doesnt help iether, not as much earth on the outside pushing as there is on the inside


i build a lean too a few years ago and code for that was dig 40 inches down, drop a "cookie" (a prefabbed concrete foundation block, 12 inches wide 4 inch thick)
i had to have an inspector come out and sign of on it before i poured the concrete around it to insure the top of the cookie was at least 36 inches deep

and that was for a lean too, thats basically a roof

now i understand codes are not same everywhere you go, but lets assume there is some good reasoning behind it, concerning loads

my roof needed to be on a foundation 3 feet deep, your entire room, flooring, walls, roof and content, would need more support, no?

having said all that, i would try to contact a foundation guy

i've had people come in and basically jack an entire 1100 square foot house up so we could address foundation issues

oh, and get a few quotes if you can, earlier this week i wrote a check for $2620 for some electrical work i had done...the exact some amount of work a different electrician quoted me $14000 for
 
I agree with a structural engineer.
Having retired from the civil engineering field ( private and public sector) as a technician I believe it would be the best option.
They will be able to determine what should be done to solve your problem.
Calculating using the size of structure, soil type and terrain ( it looks from your photo that you have a slope the posts are on). Also being in Minnesota the winters we can have can determine depth and size of footings. They may also give you some names of general contractors who have done this type of work.

Good luck and keep us updated.
 
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