House Leveling

[JUSTWINGNIT]

Curious if anybody on here can recommend a contractor to level a house. I have an older modular home that was set on just cinder blocks and it is shifting towards the creek behind my house. or if anybody has done it before and could give some input on where to rent equipment and how to go about leveling it? thanks!

 

[guywhofishes]

Believe it or not I would find that project engaging and rewarding for a do-it-yourselfer. Good luck!

Where are you located? You need to consider the possibility that the creek is "wasting" and the ground is slumping slowly - and inevitably - toward the creek. Adjust it now and you might be back at it in a year or two. Get some advice from experts on this matter. Either install a system where you can adjust over time or consider relocation to a more stable location?

Food for thought anyway.

 

[Allen]

This isn't as straight forward as you may hope. As older modular homes and mobile homes settle when the cinder blocks sink into the ground, the house is allowed to "adjust" to it gradually. Start putting jacks under it and lifting to level the home can create issues inside the place. Cracks in walls, doors that don't close, etc, etc.

I would think any mobile/modular home place would have a list of contractors they have used in the past for setting new homes. Granted, I think code nowadays may require the setting of concrete pillars instead of cinder blocks. These may require a person to temporarily move the home in order to pour the concrete.

Been there done this in the past. It's not a lot of fun, but it's not overly complicated either if you just want to use the existing cinder blocks (and add a few while you are at it). Get a couple of large hydraulic jacks (10-12 ton will suffice) and a 3 ft long level and figure out where it needs to be lifted. Lift slowly and incrementally, maybe a one to two inch lift at a location before moving on to the next to help minimize problems.

 

[guywhofishes]

Great application for a water level?

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Or laser.

 

[eyexer]

get under there with a laser level. go around and measure to the bottom of the joists at each location of the blocks. find the highest point. then go back and remeasure and determine how much each blocking spot has to go up to reach the highest one. then write that on the block or joist, etc. Then go around and jack up each blocking point and add that much above the blocks. If it's 3/4" jack it up and add a piece of 3/4" plywood there. Make up a pail of different thickness's of pieces. Using a level at each spot won't work. You can be off 2" from end to end extremely easily. Laser is the only way to do it. You can rent them very cheap or borrow one from somebody. I have one if your close to Williston

 

[JUSTWINGNIT]

the creek behind my place really isn't a creek I guess hardly any water in it at any given time. more for flood control I guess. I don't think I have a problem with the whole yard moving that direction as the house is 50 - 70 yds from it. I was thinking along the lines of the hydraulic jacks also. I will see about getting some of them. thanks for the info!

 

[guywhofishes]

get under there with a laser level. go around and measure to the bottom of the joists at each location of the blocks. find the highest point. then go back and remeasure and determine how much each blocking spot has to go up to reach the highest one. then write that on the block or joist, etc. Then go around and jack up each blocking point and add that much above the blocks. If it's 3/4" jack it up and add a piece of 3/4" plywood there. Make up a pail of different thickness's of pieces. Using a level at each spot won't work. You can be off 2" from end to end extremely easily. Laser is the only way to do it. You can rent them very cheap or borrow one from somebody. I have one if your close to Williston

not exactly... Water levels are perfect for this and don't require line of sight.

this with more hose would do it.

http://www.menards.com/main/tools-h...-water-level-with-25-hose/p-1444448127426.htm

 

[JUSTWINGNIT]

hell ya eye.. never thought of a laser level. I am not close to Williston though. I would think they would have something like that at work I could borrow. thanks for the info

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well shit guy.. that would work great too! maybe I will just go buy one. gotta do some reading on how they need to be set up though. im thinking I will end up doing it myself. I was thinking I would hire it out but guessing it would be spendy.

 

[guywhofishes]

I installed a ceiling system in my basement with it. Worked fine.

I would save the money and just buy lots of tubing and T's and build THIS! Pound in some long stakes where you'll be raising/lowering, attach a tube to each stake, adjust the reservoir height to get the water level to match the highest point of all the locations under the trailer, then raise the rest of the locations with jacks to match the water level.



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I'd run one main line the length of the trailer then T off to the sides to get access to the frame at the support locations. You can use just one tube - but every time you move around you have to adjust the reservoir to get level with your highest point or Reference Location. This drives a person bonkers. I'd rather throw some money at cheap tubing and have all sensors in location at all times. I bet the frame twists and stuff too so having multiple locations allows you to go back and inspect without readjusting the dang reservoir every time.

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or zip tie tubing right to the frame or use gorilla tape or... I don't know what it looks like down under there.

 

[eyexer]

laser level or water level either one will work. I just don't care to drag a damn hose all over under there. I used a laser to level the last two trailer houses I helped with. Set it up right in the middle and it'll hit all your targets for the most part. If you can't hit one or two don't worry, when you raise the other spots it'll be bridging those missed ones and just slip in blocks and drive in shims.

 

[Obi-Wan]

If I were you I would grab a laser and some shims & just wing it

 

[Kickemup]

If I were you I would grab a laser and some shims & just wing it

I see what u did there I laughed.

 

[svnmag]

You could have an NDA Black Lives Matter Party then start over.

 

[powerman]

I see what u did there I laughed.

I just got it, wow am I a little slow. Funny stuff.