Jacking And Leveling A Cabin - Off Grid Cabin

Here we learn as we go, jacking and leveling our off grid cabin. With screw jacks, levels, shovels, sweat, and lots of grunting, it can be done!
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[@jamesgarland4565]

We need to do the same at our camp and a couple contractors I contacted want a boatload of money to do the job. Like you, I felt pretty confident I could do the job myself. After watching your video I have no doubt that I can do it. Nice job and thanks for posting!!

[@themadmailler]

Good luck! It's not challenging, but it sure sucks crawling around under there for hours.

[@edge540steve]

Great video im doing the same thing with my cabin. Thanks for taking the time to make this video.

[@jrculbertson7463]

I have almost the same leveling issues with my tiny cabin. You have some excellent techniques and tips that I'll be using to tackle my cabin job. BTW the prior owners actually used the old time metal milking cans and other assorted materials when they built it......suffice to say that was an epic fail! LoL.

[@themadmailler]

Wow, use what you got I guess! Good luck man!

[@funnythingswedoallthetime]

Enjoyed your video. My house has piers and beams under it. Under most of the house are board joists and beams, but under the kitchen, bath and mudroom are joists and beams that are narrow cedar logs. Back in the 1940's or 50's someone added the kitchen, bath and mudroom. Those rooms have sunk a few inches and I walk downhill to the bath and kitchen. The bath has a very heavy cast iron tub which doesn't help much. The bath has sunk so much that it has raised the bedroom up off it's pier. I bought the place a month ago, the realtor said tear the house down. The underside of the living room, dining and bedrooms is in really good shape with pier and beam and joists that are heart pine boards with no termite damage. The kitchen, bath and mudroom are in not so good shape with narrow cedar logs under them. I plan to have an inspector look at it, he or she may not pass the cedar logs, I may just tear the kitchen, bath and mudroom off the house. If it passes I may do what you have done and level the kitchen, bath and mudroom. It sits on piers that are exactly like yours. My house is in central Florida.

[@themadmailler]

You can possibly jack it and replace the logs with pressure treated beams. Good luck!

[@funnythingswedoallthetime]

It would be a big job. I've thought of not jacking it, just put a few additional piers where needed and calling it a day. I would also level the floor using small shims under sheets of plywood. The walls are straight and the roof is ok. Hopefully the inspector would pass it so if I ever want to sell it, a bank would finance a buyer. Banks refused to finance it when I purchased it. @@themadmailler

[@Fjvillah]

Great work. Doing mine now

[@susanaesmerald2291]

Excellent video !! Thank you !!

[@roblevitan4202]

I'm about to attempt this when the weather gets warm here... I guess I need more jacks

[@interiordesign.staging]

I am so so happy you posted this video. I bought a log cabin and it was sloping in one corner ( where they had installed the bathroom with a 40 gallon water heater or) so I think it has the same issue likes your cabin with the stove. We now came back after the third winter and it seems to have sunken again in this corner. So I will now try to gather all my courage and tackle this , step by step as you did this 😱😱 Oh one question, where could I borrow the jacks ? Thanks

[@BNSFGP38]

FINALLY a new video

[@themadmailler]

Sorry, i've been slacking!

[@BNSFGP38]

This cabin is the one of the things I have been looking forward to since you bought it. 😀

[@abdel-hadikaddourn2bricola725]

Thancs

[@FrankLutz2]

Thanks for sharing. How are you guys checking actual end to end level either under or inside the building? Laser levels or string levels? About to do similar with a prebuilt 40x16 garage. Great video. Very informative and helpful. 👍

[@royblackburn1163]

The problem with string lines and lasers is the pillers are in the way underneath and walls inside, if you use a spirit level you will have a n accumulation of errors with multiple datums. The best way is using a water level, fix one end to a post away from the building, this will be a single point datum then use the other end to level, it will eliminate errors and you can use it inside or underneath which ever is the best for you. Every part of the building will be exactly at the same level.

[@derrickrees8895]

Nicely done ! Room for a nice front PORCH with rocking chairs ?

[@themadmailler]

It has a screened porch! you can see it at some point in the video. space for firewood, a table, and a few chairs!

[@derrickrees8895]

@@themadmailler NICE !

[@diyorbust207]

This was very helpful to me as I will have to lift my own off-grid cabin and considering cinder block footers/piers. How are you planning to secure your cabin to the footers? (hurricane strips? can they be screwed into a cinder block or will that crack it?)

[@themadmailler]

Nothing! Just the weight of the cabin holds it in place. Good luck!

[@FrankLutz2]

@@themadmailler What part of the country are in? Any ground freeze heaving issues? I’ve got a new prebuilt 40x16 garage on similar non attached piers. Someone told me I ‘need’ 4ft deep concrete filled footers for ground freeze. I’m in Ohio. This is the first winter for the building and I’ve not noticed any heaving or shifting. I did do a few ground anchor steel strapping. Thx for sharing your video.

[@themadmailler]

@@FrankLutz2 this is maine, zone 3 I think. Frost line in that area is 6'. There is no way I was digging that many 6' holes with a trowel while under the cabin! If we were living in this full time, there would be skirting around the base of the structure and would help keep the soil there warm and prevent freezing. But other than that, it's just something you have to deal with. If I was building from the ground up like you are though, it could easily be worth it to rent a mini excavator and dig deep holes. You only have the chance to do it right once.

[@themadmailler]

@@FrankLutz2 also, if it's a garage you're building, why not pour a slab instead? Costly but way better in the long run.

[@FrankLutz2]

@@themadmailler Thanks for the reply. Makes me feel a bit better about my situation. Yes, it’s a garage but it’s a prebuilt which was delivered to our property. In the end it should’ve been built on site but a mix of incompetence by the sales / site surveyor and a bit of ignorance on my part led to a challenging situation. Had some grading done before delivery but still ended up with a wicked slope. Guys who delivered the garage were great at setting it up on block piers, perfectly level. It’s just way high on one end (7 blocks) while only one block high on the other end. I’ve reinforced all the ‘scary’ high piers and did set hurricane straps. I’m a ‘make lemonade out of lemons’ kinda person so I’m planning to gouge out a foundation under the high end (where there’s room to work); lay blocks up to the garage floor to make a partial basement / root cellar at that low end. Was just poking around YT to see how folks jacked up large structures … you’re vid, with your unattached piers is essentially what I’ve got going on here albeit with a ridiculous grade issue. Thanks again for sharing.

[@gw877]

Nice job. But why didn't you put in gavel before the blocks?

[@themadmailler]

I don't think it would have accomplished anything. We were careful to only dig down to the level needed and not refill the hole with any dirt to preserve the packed earth and minimize settling. I don't think gravel would have done much.

[@singhA1968]

hi same problem for my house the size of house is long 45 ft x wide 25 ft one side and other side is 15 ft. , can i lift up my house with same technique . i want to lift atlest 3 ft. from ground laeave. please advise .

[@themadmailler]

Same technique, just lift higher.

[@rebeccacook6285]

Did you have to undo toilets or things of that nature?

[@themadmailler]

If we had plumbing, yes!