Get Your Floor the Support it Needs

Crawl spaces experience structural sagging for three primary reasons: support columns spaced too far apart, rot-weakened joists, girders, posts, and columns settling due to weak soil or ineffective footings.

At Thrasher, we specialize in stabilizing sinking crawl spaces. We can install crawl space supports to ensure that your structure is stabilized correctly while also adding an encapsulation system to prevent mold and rot.

Crawl Space Structural Support Jacks

To be stable, firm and level, the floor above a crawl space requires a reliable mid-span support usually provided by a post-and-beam assembly. But beams are often undersized, and many contractors use wooden posts that can rot, shift and settle. When this happens, floor joists sag, and other structural problems occur. The SmartJack(R) system is a foundation repair product that provides a permanent solution to these problems.

The SmartJack(R) system provides reliable support for sagging and undersized beams, restoring stability and straightness to sagging floor joists in a crawl space. Once installed in your crawl space, SmartJack support posts can correct problems such as sloping and overly springy floors, interior wall cracks, and out-of-level door frames. The SmartJack can be adjusted over time to provide additional straightening and leveling action if necessary because of its design.

Crawl Space Encapsulation

Each of your home's systems plays a vital role in the overall health of your house. Since your home's systems rely on each other, a problem in your crawl space will eventually spread to other areas - causing significant damage. At Thrasher, we solve those problems with crawl space repair options, crawl space encapsulation, vapor barrier, and crawl space insulation.

Crawl space repair is the perfect solution to help you save money on utility bills, avoid unnecessary repairs, and create a healthy living space in your home. With crawl space encapsulation, you will gain valuable space for storage and protect your home once we have sealed your crawl space with a durable vapor barrier. The crawl space encapsulation treatment separates and protects the crawl space interior from outdoor conditions, keeping the area clean and dry.

Whether your crawl space is wet and moist, needs winterization, or has foundation repair issues, our team will conduct a complete in-home inspection, professional consultation, and free crawl space inspection that details the perfect solution.

Crawl Space Support: What Not to Do

Here are three "fixes" that Thrasher does NOT recommend.

• Concrete Columns: Crawl space girders or beams are sometimes supported by columns made from concrete blocks. Once the mortar cures, the extra space between block and girder is usually filled with wooden spacers or "shims." This prolonged, time-consuming process results in a completed column that isn't adjustable as the concrete column settles or the wood girder shrinks.

• Additional Shimming: This is a "cheap fix" solution for repairing a girder and floor that sagged because of settled concrete columns. Temporary jacks lift the girder, and wooden shims are pushed between the existing column and the floor girder. The jacks are then removed. The concrete columns will continue to settle, requiring additional shimming and maintenance in the future, making it a short-term fix.

• Light-Duty Jack Posts: Skinny, light-duty jack posts are available at many hardware stores and home centers. This type of adjustable steel post is installed on top of a concrete block resting on the ground in the crawl space. Unfortunately, these posts hold very little weight, have poor stability and are difficult to adjust. Also, they won't compensate for poor supporting soils in the crawl space.

You want to trust your home's foundation or crawl space repairs to an expert -- not a jack-of-all-trades general contractor or fly-by-night handyman. Ask questions. Read reviews. And, make sure you get an in-depth quote and a transferrable warranty. You'll sleep better at night, knowing you did.

We Offer Free Crawl Space Repair Inspections

If your crawl space is sinking or sagging, we at Thrasher are here to help. We offer free crawl space repair inspections throughout our service area in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Click Here to schedule yours today!

Each quote comes at no obligation and includes an on-site inspection, professional consultation, and written cost quote. We'll also send you a complimentary copy of our 90-page foundation repair book for reference.