Crawl Space Repair Photo Album: SmartJack Support System in Lakeland, FL
Brooke A. of Lakeland, Florida was noticing her wooden floors would bow and move when she walked on them. She also noticed they were no longer level and started growing concerned there was a problem with her foundation. She decided to call LRE Foundation Repair to inspect the damage. During the inspection, we discovered a large amount of washout underneath the home, which was connected to the downspouts and gutter system that did not divert water appropriately away from the home. This erosion was causing the concrete support columns to move and wood joists to rot, compromising the foundation of the home. Once a new drainage system was installed, we got to work on a custom-designed SmartJack Support System that would stabilize this home's foundation permanently.
The SmartJack system is comprised of heavy-duty, galvanized steel posts that are installed in the crawlspace below the home. These posts are cut-to-fit and adjusted to reach the desired height needed to lift joists back into place. Once installed, the SmartJack system permanently stabilizes the floor joists and eliminates the structural problems that this homeowner was experiencing. After completion, she was relieved that her floors were leveled and that she did not have to worry about future damage to her home.
Washout Underneath Home
Poor gutter drainage was the main cause of the substantial erosion underneath this home, causing the crawlspace supports to fail.
Concrete and Brick Supports Under Home
A lot of "support beams" under homes are simply stacked concrete blocks or bricks which have a tendency to shift and move over time. This can cause major issues to the foundation above.
Stacked Concrete Block Supports
These concrete block supports were starting to fail as the erosion was moving soils from underneath the home.
Holes for SmartJack Supports
One of the first steps in SmartJack installation is digging holes where SmartJacks will be placed, creating stabilized footings.
Filled Footing for SmartJack Support
These footings are dug to appropriate depths and filled to create a solid base.
Support Column Cut to Size
After the footings have been installed, LRE cut the SmartJack column to size so that it's the appropriate size for this crawlspace.
New Steel Support Beams Installed
Some of these wood joists were rotted, so new wood was replaced and steel beams were installed for added support and stabilization.
Completed SmartJack Project
Once the project has been completed, the SmartJacks can be adjusted, creating the natural lift this crawlspace needed to bring the floors back to their original leveled state.