Floor Supports and Joist Replacement
Big Boy Jacks for Your New Header Beam
One of our most popular items we install is our own Big Boy Jack System. We are proud to say they are locally manufactured for us in nearby Waupaca WI. We use Big Boy Jacks for a wide variety of projects. Although most commonly installed in crawl spaces. We also use them in full basements, old barns and even on porch or home overhangs.
Big Boy Jacks consist of a solid 3.5” diameter tube steel that is cut to fit each individual project. They can be cut at 10” tall or 10ft. Still maintaining their holding capacity.. They have an adjustable threaded bolt built into the top of them. There is then a steel plate that sits on top of the adjustable bolt; this plate is then fastened to the new header support being installed or to the existing support header that is present. We use the adjustable bolt to raise the structure or floor system after the installation is complete.
Big Boy Jack Installation
The first step in the installation process is to remove the floor in the area where the support is needed. We remove a section of the floor 24” wide by 24” wide. We dig down to a depth of about 16” deep. Concrete footing is then poured 12” thick. This allows us to pour the proper footing to meet local building codes. Some companies place their supports on gravel-based footings. Some use precast footing pads. Precast footing pads don’t come close to meeting building codes. Precast footings are designed to hold decks. Not to hold up houses. This is not acceptable in many circumstances, especially under existing support beams.
Concrete footing pads are designed to transfer and disperse the load from above. After the footing pad is poured we place a 12”x12” 1⁄4” thick steel plate on top of the footing pad. This plate also acts as a weight distributor. It also receives the steel pole or Big Boy Jack that is cut to the proper length. No pins or weak points.
Note: Some companies place their supports on gravel-based footings. Some use precast footing pads. Precast footing pads don’t come close to meeting building codes. Precast footings are designed to hold decks, not houses. This is not acceptable in many circumstances, especially under existing support beams.
Things to know about Big Boy Jacks
Most of the time Big Boy Jacks are being installed in conjunction with new headers or support beams. We use a variety of different beams. It can depend on multiple factors to determine which is going to be best for your home or project.
Some factors often taken into consideration are:
- The weight of the load being placed on the supports. Is it a 1 or 2-story home? Are the columns we are supporting load-bearing? Or are we installing these under a living room or open floor plan? Many times we are just taking the bounce or sag out of floors. Sometimes we are attempting to lift main supports that may also be transferring loads from the second level.
- Sometimes playing a factor is also headroom or clearance available. Some crawl spaces are limited with clearance and workspace. In situations like these we often use 4” steel I beams instead of wood headers or premanufactured beams.
- In some circumstances an engineer may need to be involved if deemed necessary by a local inspector or if certain spacing of the supports is needed or desired.
- Another determining factor can be the design of the floor joist system. Or other obstacles that may need to be worked around or cause necessary modifications. Such as Heat vents, Gas Lines, Electrical wires, Water lines and Plumbing lines.
