Temporary Shoring Of Floor Joists

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I recently purchased a rental in a low income area. The floors are all out of level and several of the joist have severe termite damage. There is plenty of "temporary" shoring there currently. By that I mean that someone has jacked up the joists and just stuck cinder blocks/bricks etc under them. They don't appear to be sitting on any type of footing/foundation. What are the pros and cons of doing it this way? I guess the proper way would be to dig a small footing and pour 8-10 inches of concrete and then put a salt treated post under the the joists? Is this correct? Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Comments(3)

  • commercialking21st July, 2004

    Usually the way this is handled is to install a "sister" joist along side the one that is rotted/eaten by termites. I assume you've had the house treated for the bugs and that they are gone first.

  • snoonan21st July, 2004

    comercialking is correct. You need to eliminate the 'shoring" as it will appear to a prospective buyer to have structural problems. A home inspector would flag this in an instant. If you have the time and money it would be best to replace the joists. Not to difificult if you are experienced.

  • Stockpro9922nd July, 2004

    Pouring a foundation is a big job and not necessary depending on the age, location and utility of the structure. There are many 80 year old structures and some newer with post and beam support of the floor joist. Assuming a decent crawlspace this is an inexpensive and easy fix. Use 16"x16" concrete pier pads or pour in place piers and pressure treated posts to suppor the beam carrying the joist load.

    [addsig]

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