54 | Oregon Home In that case, we add SmartJacks as a supplemental support.” Because subsoils tend to shift beneath homes throughout the various seasons, crews from John’s Waterproofing dig down about 2 feet to reach soil that is much more stable. Once at that level, they install crushed stone; then, on top of that, either a footing or the steel base plate of the SmartJack, which the jack itself is bolted onto. The SmartJack is then adjusted to the proper height so that it is supporting the beam appropriately. The jacks not only halt any further downward movement of the floor, but they can also be adjusted to lift a sagging floor back to its original position. Barber says SmartJacks are only for interior support from within a basement or a crawl space, not for exterior foundation walls. But for interior support, he says SmartJacks are superior to traditional wooden-post options. For starters, they’re galvanized steel, so they’re going to last — and won’t rot or mildew. They’re also available in various lengths, so they can be used in tight crawl spaces or those that are 10 or more feet in height. And SmartJacks are adjustable by about 8 inches, which is key in the Northwest, where no matter what valiant attempts are made, soils are bound to shift over time. “Things are going to settle,” Barber says. “We do annual maintenance, so we’ll come in and check on the SmartJacks, and tighten them and loosen them as needed every year.” What’s more, the teams at John’s Waterproofing are speedy when it comes to installing SmartJacks. Barber says most installations, which can be done year-round, take just a single day. Barber also says it’s important for homeowners to regularly be on the lookout for signs of compromised supports, such as doors that stick, floors that are sagging and windows that won’t open. “There are signs that can be detected from your living space that a bigger issue could be happening below-grade,” he says. “You want to protect your home, so it’s important to pay attention to it.” johnswaterproofing.com THERE ARE SIGNS THAT CAN BE DETECTED FROM YOUR LIVING SPACE THAT A BIGGER ISSUE COULD BE HAPPENING BELOW-GRADE. YOU WANT TO PROTECT YOUR HOME, SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT.” —COLTON BARBER JOHN’S WATERPROOFING
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