House Wrighting Without Headaches

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Presumably, you'll want to repair the wall to match what's already there, especially if it's something standard like concrete block. Buy enough common and half blocks to patch the entire damaged area, and get a bag of premixed mortar as well (one 60-pound sack will bond about 15 standard blocks with 3/8” joints). Then carefully replace the missing pieces, using the existing wall pattern as a guide. Use a small trowel to "butter" the joint surfaces, and a striking tool to pack the joints where there's a tight fit. Never allow two vertical joints to meet.

If you need to replace a larger section of wall, set up a second jack a distance down the footing from the first, and lift the beam by ¼" increments until you clear the intended wall crown (a line stretched from corner to corner will help determine this). For a triple 2X10 carrying beam, a support every 6½' is adequate; a floor girder using double 2X10s would call for bracing every 4' or so. Don't agonize over laying up a continuous wall if a jack support is in a bad spot. A block-length gap here and there in the support wall won't amount to much considering the span figures given above.

After you've laid up the blocks, allow a week or so for the mortar to set (full-cure time is 28 days), then lower the beam slowly to meet the new support. Any settling thereafter can usually be adjusted by shimming between the block and the beam.

You would use essentially the same technique to replace defective posts beneath a beam in a basement. In this case, the posts could be warped or damaged, the pads disintegrated or the beam itself not supported adequately. Plan your repairs before you start jacking or your temporary supports may get in the way of your permanent ones.

If just a post or two need to be replaced, simply locate a jack and a pad 6" or so from the old column but directly beneath the beam, tack a 2 X 6 spacer flat to the beam right above the jack cap, and trim your 4 X 6 jacking post to fit between the fully collapsed jack and the spacer block. Use your level to check the position of the post, then jack in ¼” steps until you can safely remove the old column and replace it with a new wooden post or metal-cased Lally column. To reset a series of posts, work from one end of the beam to the other, replacing and fastening each column as you go.

In some cases, the column footings are no longer adequate or are nonexistent. Here, you would position your jack at least 3' away from the column to allow you to dig out the old footing or excavate for a new one at that spot (the section on piers will cover this later). If you're concerned about stretching the unsupported span by this extra distance, set up a second jack support 3' to the opposite side of the post you're working on.

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