It is not uncommon to lift a house to remodel, adapt to a high-flood area or move one's house to a different location. Leaving this job to the professionals may seem like the easiest route, but it can get very expensive. There are some steps you can take to lift a home in the event you are considering taking on this task yourself.
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Hydraulic jacks
- 4-foot timbers
- 50-foot I-beams
- Turn off all utilities, such as gas, water and electricity. The last thing you want is a gas line to break during the process.
- Move into the crawlspace below the house to remove any water or gas pipes that are in the way.
- Remove any plaster, concrete or other material that is connecting the home to the ground or foundation.
- Place the I-beams into position under the home. The I-beams should be raised using hydraulic jacks, one at the end of each beam.
- Raise the house using the hydraulic jacks no more than 18 inches.
- Insert enough 4-foot timbers in the space by cross-stacking them. This cross-stacking is sometimes called cribbing.
- Raise the home 18 more inches and insert additional timbers for more cribbing.
- Continue to raise the home until it is about 12 feet off the ground or foundation. The final height will depend largely on the purpose of raising the home. If, for example, you want to build an additional floor underneath your house, you may need to raise it even higher.
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