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Posted by RicodJour on November 6, 2006, 1:39 pm
Mark wrote:
> >
> > Why do you feel that the settling would occur in a few days? If you
> > see the benefits of an adjustable post, why wouldn't you make the
> > adjustable post permanent? Installing a temporary adjustable post
> > would be making extra work for yourself and basing it on the assumption
> > that all settlement would happen within your theoretical time frame.
> > Nature and structures rarely cooperate with arbitrary time frames.
>
> So is there a consensus here that my proposed new footing is going to
> settle? And is settling to be expected even if I make it 2' by 2' as
> Bob has proposed?
If the footing is placed on undisturbed soil there is no reason that it
would settle unless it was an insufficient, small footing.
> If I jack up the beam 1/4" in anticipation of settling, the result will be
> damage to the structure above the beam.
You mentioned that the bottom of the beam had crushed fibers at the
post. You should take a laser level to the floor above and see if the
floor dips at the beam. If so, jack it up slowly to prevent cracking.
About 1/16" per day should minimize cracking. If it hasn't settled and
you don't need to straighten out the floor, then just jack up the beam
enough to take the load off of the post and maybe a bit more. 1/8" is
all you need. Again, this should be done slowly to minimize cracking -
particularly if the house has plaster walls and tiled floors above.
> If I load the new post with the beam at its current level and it
> settles 1/4", the result will be damage to the structure above the beam.
It shouldn't settle.
> The existing post has rested on the slab for 75 years, and I have
> no particular reason to expect the slab to fail (or to settle) if I put the
> _new_ post on the slab. Barring a slab failure, this approach produces
> no damage.
My original advice was to saw cut the slab and place the footing on top
of it. The footing would not have to be quite as large nor deep if it
were on top of the slab. Build shelves around the post on top of the
footing if you'd like.
> So this brings me full-circle back to the issue that we were discussing
> last week Except now it appears that I _can_ expect damage if I pour
> a new post footing instead of resting the new post on the slab where the
> old post rested.
If you continue back full circle, check out my advice on placing the
footing on top of the slab. Thanks.
R
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