A sinking porch floor is a nightmare that everybody dreads. Not only does it give a bad look to the house, but it also becomes dangerous after a while. The only viable solution to this dilemma is to get a floor jack and jack up the sinking porch floor.
As easy as it seems, lifting the floor porch is not a slice of cake. Especially for the folks who have never worked with a floor jack before. However, if you follow the proper procedure keenly, then this task can be done in merely an hour and that too, very easily.
Being a previous member of the novice community, I am aware of how important it is to find the perfect guidelines to follow. This is why everything that helped me jack up the porch floor of my house is present below. So, without any delay, read the article carefully, and go jack up the sinking floor of your porch.
How To Jack Up A Porch Floor
If you carefully follow the steps shared below, you will be able to jack up the porch floor of your house very conveniently.
What You Will Need
You are going to need a couple of items to jack up the porch floor of your house. Make sure to keep these items around before you start working on the project. The list includes two floor jacks, a few concrete blocks, lumber for support, and your screwdriver.
First Step
The first thing that you need to do is analyze the area of sinking. You want to find out how bad the sinking is, for this you will need to use the aid of your measuring tape. Moreover, also check whether both ends of the porch floor are sinking, or just a single end.
Second Step
Once you have figured out the area of the problem, now it is time to take out all the gear and get to work. Clear the area that is right under the sinking. As you will be working there, you need to remove all the debris, and rocks from there. Then take your measuring tape and measure how much the porch floor has sagged. This is a critical step, as you will need to raise the porch floor to exactly how much it has sunk. So, make sure to take the measurements a couple of times just to be on the safe side.
Third Step
You need to create a solid base for the placement of your concrete blocks. You can use a concrete paver as a stable base. Then take your concrete block and place it right under the area of sagging. Take the rest of the blocks and stack them on top of the base one. Make sure not to use more than 3 blocks.
Fourth Step
Now take your hydraulic jack and place it on top of the concrete block. Start pumping the jack till it reaches closer to the bottom of the porch floor. You either pump the jack all the way till it raises the porch floor, or you can use a wooden column and place it between the top of the jack and the bottom of the porch floor. Using a column is a better option as it ensures that the machine does not slip. Moreover, it also distributes the weight evenly rather than keeping it at one point, where the jack comes into contact with the flooring.
Fifth Step
After you have raised the porch floor with your wooden column and hydraulic jack, take your screwdriver and put some screws through the piece of lumber on top of the jack. This will ensure that the wooden column does not budge even half an inch. If both ends of the porch floor are sinking, then repeat the same steps on the other side as well. Voila, you have successfully fixed the issue that was causing so much headache. This was all you needed to do to jack up the porch floor of your house.
Conclusion
Having your porch floor sinking is a problem that can become worse if not fixed at the right time. So instead of waiting for a professional to fix it for you, read the article above to find out exactly how you can jack up the porch floor of your house.
