Starting out on a strong foundation

By Charles Weiner

Even though I am a foundation expert, I couldn’t help but notice that the joist above me had a hundred holes drilled into it for the plumbing pipes and electrical wires. I have actually never seen anything like it. In one place, the tradesmen cut right through the joist to make room for the 3-inch ABS drainage pipe from the toilet. The floor support was just hanging in its place.

The Glebe has among the best built houses in Ottawa. If you are already an owner, or thinking of buying a house in the area, then this is clearly good news. On the other hand, most of the homes are over a century old and even though the structure is in most cases made of superior products, there are signs and symptoms of disrepair that need to be looked at and looked at carefully.

In the case of the above mentioned home, inexperi-enced tradespeople over the years had compromised the joist system. They also rebuilt part of the first floor support for a new basement stair entrance. They cut back the stone wall foundation to allow for the stairs and left the crib opening hanging without proper sup-port. The floors had clearly dropped because of this.

Fortunately, I was able to level the floor, double the joist where needed and install welded steel posts designed to engineering specs to prevent any further compromise. I mention engineering specs because in many cases people have homes shored up with tem-porary jack posts purchased at a building supply store.  These are temporary and do not under any circum-stances meet building code requirements. They are not meant to withstand shifts in the structure caused by earth tremors and tend to loosen over time. In many cases, these temporary jack posts are placed directly on the typical Glebe concrete floor. The pad is often far too thin and degraded to maintain the necessary load bearing capabilities. A proper concrete footing must be installed either below ground or above that meets necessary building code requirements. This can be 12 x 24 x 24 inches or 14 x 30 x 30 inches, depending on the load being carried.

It is important that prospective home purchasers note whether temporary shoring jacks have been used in the basement to support that above joist. If so, the cost of replacing them should factor into the purchase of the home. A proper estimate of cost can be obtained by calling a concrete repair company with a proven track record of completing structural repairs.

Another important and possibly the most essen-tial element in addressing issues related to the struc-tural integrity of the floor joist is to check the ends that are embedded in the foundation walls. I recommend actually drilling out a bit of mortar where stone has been used, or concrete in rubble foundations to see if the ends are rotten. In a good 25 per cent of homes that are built on rubble foundations, the ends can be badly rotted from moisture contamination. This is usually less apparent on stone foundations but does occur where exterior mortar joints between the stones and above brick walls have not been properly main-tained. The repair in question is more costly. It can be completed either by replacing the joist in question or installing horizontal beams and steel support posts along the interior walls of the foundation. A struc-tural engineer or trusted contractor can be used to decide the best method of repair. I always recommend the engineer for at least a second opinion, since this will often in the end save you money by preventing an overzealous contractor from doing costly repairs where they are not needed. Unless a job is straight-forward, this is my recommendation to my custom-ers. It may take an engineer up to a month to inspect a home during the busy work season. So please, address these issues during the winter or early spring. If not, be prepared to wait.

It is important, especially for new home buyers, to check the access to the foundation on the outside of he dwelling for purposes of repair. In some cases, houses are too close together to allow for excavation. I have visited homes with 12 inches of space between them. In other dwellings, distance is compromised because a neighbour has illegally built a deck too close to the property lines. There may also be fences belonging to neighbours that are also impinging on the property line and will have to come down if a repair is needed. These problems should be addressed before a property is purchased. It is also good to give neighbours ample warning of a repair. They may, in the rare case, try to persuade  you not to do the work. Remember the law is on your side and most import-antly, not doing a repair is always more costly in the end, since the damage increases with time.

If you have concerns about your structure or would like a free inspection, then you can email me at charleszave65@gmail.com. I can also be reached by phone or text at 613-915-8377. 

Charles Weiner, owner of Canadian Structural Reinforcing Inc., and expert in foundation and structural repairs, is available for residential, commercial and industrial projects in the region.