Steel or Wood Posts in the basement???

[maxfax]

So here's what I plan to tackle with in the next few weeks.



It's not that the posts are rotten, just that the rock they were sat on sunk, there's a ground hog hole nearby so I have a pretty good idea what has happened... AS of now the doorways and such in the basement (which I'm pretty confident were added at a later time) are doing alot of the supporting.. I already have things cleaned out around the center beam, and the cribbing in place.. Tomorrow we start to lift things up.. We gotta go 6"-8".. I think Dad mentioned about aiming for at least 2" and letting things rest for a few days.. But it's all going to be "see how she goes" I'm not too worried about damaging plaster as it's all pretty much done for anyhow, but I'm still gonna take it slow..

Once the weight is off the posts and I have them out of the way I've got some digging to do.. We're going to pour two piers for the posts.. I suspect the orignals do have some rot at the very bottm since the dirt had built up around them.. GOnna inspect and see how they are, they may end up elsware in the house if nothing else..

Now the question of the day, steel or wood??? Those wooden posts held the house of for 150+ years so how bad can a wood post be?? THen again the steel posts I was looking at have the screw on top so that I coudl compensate for any settling at a later date.. I *think* at this point I will probably try to have the basement almost completely open, and a wooden post would fit in there much nicer, at least aestetically..... I have some extremely nice straight locust that I cut down from around te house (apporximatly 8" diameter), it'll need a few years to dry though..

Thoughts, opinions???

[brian89gp]

Those steel posts with screws on the top are meant for temporary use.

If you use steel posts a lot of building code jurisdictions will want it filled with concrete to prevent a collapse in case of a fire. Wood doesn't have this requirement, but then again termites do like wood more then metal.

[maxfax]

Those steel posts with screws on the top are meant for temporary use.

Interesting... My old modular had those permanantly installed when they set the house.. I've seen quite a few others the same way... I thought they needed to be filled with concrete, but after seeing several that weren't I wasn't sure... When I talked with the local inspectors they even sugested using those, with no mention of concrete.. THen again some of his other suggestions seemd a bit half assed too.. (Where the foor joists rotted off in the pockets in the stone he recomented building a wall to prop them up, not replace or sister the joists)..

I personally like the idea of wood posts.. The old ones worked for how many years, and were actually still working at half capacity... Termites are a factor, but as of yet I have found no evidence of those little buggers...

[wletson]

wood. Metal studs were developed for industrial use. Do not use them for residential.

[maxfax]

Wood it is!!! I think dad already made the decision for me though.. Got out to the shop and he's de barking a few posts outta his stash... I really gotta find out what else that old man has stashed around here.. I'm not real great at identifying different wood.. I thought he was gonna have a siezure when I almost cut a piece of walnut to fix a hay wagon...

[LarryinIowa]

Huh? I've used steel posts with the screws at the top in several different places and never had an issue of any sort.

The HUGE advantage is that they're adjustable. And unless your conditions are so bad that rust will be a problem, I'd use steel in a heartbeat.

[wletson]

jack posts I woulf use to even out or level floors but once that is done, put in wood and you can use the jack post again

[maxfax]

jack posts I woulf use to even out or level floors but once that is done, put in wood and you can use the jack post again

I suspect that's why they used them in my old modular, knowing what a piece of crap it was they permanantly installed them... The house was 10 years old when I moved in, ended up having to crank 2 of them up a bit to level things out...

I imagine the steel posts would probably suffice, but I'd probably be looking at using two of them to support the weight.... They'd need to be spaced at 1/3 intervals of the span.. (Gee sounds sorta technical))

I suspect the 6x6" post on the left in the pic was the one that did all the supporting as it was perched on a rock.. THe 4x4" one on the right only had dirt under it and was nailed to the wall.. There was another further on down the line that appeated to just be nailed to the wall and perched on dirt as well.. Kinda looks like at one time there were some sort of shelves on the other side of the wall and it was attached to the 2 4x4 posts...

[eperot]

Pressure Treated wood. Metal will rust out if in a damp environment like most basements.

[maxfax]

I have 2 approximately 8" diameter Black Locust posts ready to go... They'll be there after the apocolypse.... When we pour the piers in teh basement they will have an indent in the top where the posts will rest.. I welded up the bracket a few mins ago that will be lagged to the main beam that essentually does the same thing.. The post will only be resting in there.. IF the need arises to lift thing up more at a later time it will be able to be shimmed several inches... IF more than that is needed (aside from having other problems) the house can be jacked up and a longer post installed...


Had I thought about this, that's the same thing holding up the basement in Mom and Dad's house.. Been there since 1792, and in line with the cellar drain so it constantly has gotten hammered with water...