Hi! We are currently renovating and expanding the cabin partially on the existing crawl space foundation. The company building it was supposed to align the wall if needed. They didn't do that, so now there are regular wooden or wood chip wedges under the sill to compensate for unevenness in the wall. Will these wedges really withstand the pressure and keep the levels maintained when walls, roof, and kitchen are in place and will it hold over time in a humid crawl space without the wedges slipping out of place? Very grateful for your thoughts on this! Regards, John
Do you have a picture showing how they are positioned?J JohnMW said:
Hi, a picture would be good.
Fixing the foundation is probably tricky.
Lifting with a jack and inserting spacers of the correct thickness is probably what I would do.
I guess just wedging it up will give point loads that are greater than what the wedges or the sill can handle, think 40cm snow and wind loads.
/W
Fixing the foundation is probably tricky.
Lifting with a jack and inserting spacers of the correct thickness is probably what I would do.
I guess just wedging it up will give point loads that are greater than what the wedges or the sill can handle, think 40cm snow and wind loads.
/W
Oh no, that won't hold, the support must be even under the entire beam, and the outer frame should be propped up as the weight of the wall transfers into it, otherwise, there will be too much point pressure on the beams placed 60 c/c. Usually, there is a sole plate under the beams...J JohnMW said:
If this had been done properly from the start, the wall plate should have been evened out first with mortar, but that chance is no longer available, so you need to support it...
Note that chipboard is not recommended in this case...
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Then maybe you should request that they level the masonry before you continue, because wood is soft and will yield under heavy loads when the base is uneven…J JohnMW said:
If I'm interpreting the pictures correctly, it's aligned horizontally, not vertically.J JohnMW said:
The wedges don't seem to be secured in any way.
If you secure the wedges (preferably driving them in from both sides as well), I think it's okay.
No, it's not okay with a wedge from each direction; there should be a sill under the beams and under that, sill paper to prevent moisture rising... the beams should be flush so that the entire beam and outer frame distribute the weights evenly. Otherwise, you risk settling due to the point pressure of the wedges...Nissens said:
Yes, but there's a sole, and a moisture barrier is between the wedges and the stone. How it looks under the sole can't be seen.Rejäl said:
The sole isn't under the entire standing stud. Whether that's okay, I don't know; it needs someone to calculate.
Additionally, the wall is damaged underneath. Why haven't they started by repairing it? Then level with mortar under the sill paper, so minimal shimming underneath is needed.
That notching effectively halves the strength. It looks completely wrong.
Wedges made of chipboard probably won't hold over time and will be subjected to very high point loads. I would guess that this results in sway in the construction, creaking floors, and more.
Try to see what happens to a chipboard that gets a little damp. It turns into rubbish in no time. I would avoid chipboard material in the crawl space where possible.
That notching effectively halves the strength. It looks completely wrong.
Wedges made of chipboard probably won't hold over time and will be subjected to very high point loads. I would guess that this results in sway in the construction, creaking floors, and more.
Try to see what happens to a chipboard that gets a little damp. It turns into rubbish in no time. I would avoid chipboard material in the crawl space where possible.
I didn't quite understand what you mean by oriented horizontally. They were supposed to adjust the wall vertically to get the right heights. Now they have used wedges instead. The sill is almost never in contact with the sill paper and the wall. Nor with the joist that the wall studs stand on above the sill. So, the sill is floating both below and above.