Supporting Beam Sagging, Dunbarton, NH

Monday, June 21st, 2021 by Travis Kellogg

Challenge

This homeowner in Dunbarton, New Hampshire, had been experiencing an issue where the floors in their home were sagging, gradually getting worse over time. They had been living in the home for over 38 years and said their floor had always been sagging. The homeowners did mention that 20 years ago the main support beam split. Ultimately, the sagging of the beam got worse because of this, leaving the first floor of the home unstable.

The homeowners are planning on staying in this home for 3-5 more years. In those 3-5 years they plan to repair and upkeep the home in hopes to sell for a premium. Maintaining the value of the property was crucial to them.

The main support beam is located in a 2'-3-1/2' tall crawlspace. It also stretches the width of the home which is 30'. The dimensions of the crawlspace are 22' by 30' and it was in a tough area to access, so the homeowner had to remove some decking to allow our Erickson design specialist to view it. Along with the main beam sagging, the front wall of the home needed to be lifted and stabilized as well.

Solution

Erickson Foundation Solutions proposed adding a SmartJack System to strengthen the main support beam, and then also lift the front of the home with Helical Piers to completely stabilize it and prevent further movement or settlement.

There was a total of 5 SmartJacks and 2 Helical Piers installed in the crawlspace. The SmartJacks are cut to a certain length determined by the height of the beam from the dirt. A 2' by 2' hole was dug and then filled and compacted with engineered fill to create a solid and stable base for the supports. The Helical Piers had to be drilled into place by a machine and were set at depths allowing them to stabilize the structure. The Helical Piers were then attached to the foundation footing and supported the front of the home.

With everything installed the SmartJacks and Helical Piers raised and stabilized the main beam and the front of the home permanently.