How to House Lifting
Lifting a home is a slow and somewhat challenging proposition. Consider carefully your qualifications versus the cost of having a professional lift your home.Lifting an entire home off of its foundation requires a minimum of four hydraulic house jacks and two steel I-beams that span the length of the home to be raised.Multiple people are required to raise a house and keep it level at all times. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Minimum of 4 hydraulic house jacks
- Minimum of two steel I-beams
- Several bags of ready-mix concrete
- Several Dozen 4-foot oak 4X4s
Instructions
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1
Shut off all electrical, gas and water connections coming into the home.
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Choose four spots under your home for the four hydraulic house jacks. Choose spots within 4 feet of each corner of the home to be raised. If concrete pads are not located at these areas pour concrete directly into forms dug into the earth. Pads should be at least 14 inches to a side and should be at least 2 inches thick.It is often easier to remove flooring just above the pad areas in order to more easily pour your concrete pads.Allow at least 48 hours to dry.
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Place your hydraulic jacks on the pads. With jacks lowered place the steel I-beams on top of your jacks so that each I-beam runs the length of your home. Make sure that the I-beams will not crush water or gas pipes or electrical wiring when raised.Break any cement, stucco or other material that connects your home to the foundation.
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Raise all four of your house jacks the same amount at the same time. This requires at least four people, one on each jack with each person raising his or her jack the same amount at the same time. Work slowly
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Raise the house a maximum of 18 inches using your jacks. Stack the oak 4X4s under the I-beams, criss crossing each one until a minimum of all four corners of the home will be equally supported. Depending on the length of your home you may need to support the I-beams in the center as well, making a total of 6 support spots.Continue raising the house (slowly) with each jack being raised the same amount at the same time in order to keep the home level. Add support 4X4s each time the home is raised 4 inches.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure all power, gas and electrical connections are shut off before work begins.
Work slowly and make sure each person understands the procedure so the house remains level as it is raised.
Oak 4 X 4s make the best bracing material because of their strength. Other woods can be used but be cautious as other types of wood may compress more than oak when the full weight of the house is placed on them.
Do not crawl under the house without placing criss crossed bracing under the I-beams.
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Comments
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selelis
Aug 23, 2009
While away from home a pipe burst and the ground became totally flooded under one edge of the house causing it to settle by about 1.5 cm. This caused a vertical separation between the floor level and an adjoining wooden-floor annex which opens off the (original, now-removed), external side wall of the house and is based on a separate concrete foundation with the wooden floor supported on wooden beams and stilts. The house is quite small, single storied and only about 8.5m long and about 10m deep, constructed mainly of breeze blocks. The far end of the house is unaffected but it is safe to assume that some stresses have been caused along the length of the walls which may show in time. The ground slopes slightly from front to back and access to the front edge may be difficult, restricted or impossible). Would it be recommended to attempt a lift just along the affected wall? Selwyn Rose -
projectmgr
Aug 11, 2008
Not only do the utilities need to be shut off, they will also have to be disconnected, as they will break off when the house is raised.
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projectmgr
Aug 11, 2008
Not only do the utilities need to be shut off, they will also have to be disconnected, as they will break off when the house is raised.
