Of Piers & Beams; From "Ask Us Anything"

If you haven't had a chance to check out the "Ask Us Anything" page on our website, then you're missing out. Here's the most recent question and our answer.

Question

1) How many beams would you expect to find under a home that is 63 feet wide and 26 feet deep, plus has a garage 18 by 18 added to the back of one side?

2) Should interior piers be placed under the beams if the foundation is getting raised at least 3 inches?

3) Would one expect to find a beam under a load supporting wall that runs 63 feet from the west to the east side down the center of the home (centered at 13 feet deep)?

Answer

Dear Ellen,

Great Questions! While we are not builders or construction engineers, we have developed some construction-related perspectives due to the multitude of houses we have sought to repair. I am going to attempt to answer your questions based on the presumption that the home of which you speak is built on a slab on grade concrete foundation.

The number of beams one would expect to find and the number of beams present, if any, can be quite different. I would LIKE to find three beams from side to side; one being directly under the primary load bearing wall and another seven (7) feet offset on either side of it. If the foundation is going to be lifted three (3) or more inches then, YES, I would want the piers placed to directly support the beams.

It is not a matter of whether the foundation COULD BE LIFTED if the piers are not under the beams, but IT IS a matter of whether anything less will assure you of a LONG TERM HOLD without breaking the foundation at the point of contact at each pier.

As far as a beam being UNDER the load bearing wall, that is where one would hope to find one. But rarely have we found that to be the case; the most common situation we find is where the load bearing wall sits off from the beam two to three feet.

Some other concerns for you to consider are the pier type and depth, the stress the lift will place on all plumbing and the preparation of gas and electrical connections so they will lift with the house without being broken. Also,if you have not hired an independent engineer to design the scope of work to be attempted then I would highly recommend that.

If you have any more questions we can address please let me know.

Sincerely,
Alan Ardoin.

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