Need suggestions on saving a leaning building

[deaconjim]

We have an old springhouse on our new farm that has started to lean. I'm hoping to save the building, and perhaps make use of the spring. Here are some pics:

From the rear:


Right side:


Front view:


One problem area:


The ground around the building is quite soft, so jacking is difficult at best. Heavy machinery would also be a problem. I've thought of a few ways to do it, but I'm not particularly sure of any of them. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to accomplish this? I'd hate to let the building continue to decay.

[The Paw]

I would try taking off the wallboards on the back wall, and seeing if it is possible to push it back closer to square. If so, I would square it as best I could, screw in some internal bracing to hold it square, and then try to jack it up.

If you don't feel the back sill plate is strong enough, you could nail and screw a 2x6 across the rear wall studs (since they are exposed), about 2 or 3 feet off the ground, and then jack against the 2x6.

I wouldn't try to jack or straighten it until I had reinforced the framing in the back corner. My fear is that if you try to place that lower corner under stress, it will fail completely.

Plan B would be to dismantle it board by board, put down a foundation and re-frame.

[Bearfootfarm]

Is there any type of foundation, or is it wood against the ground?

[fordy]

...........I worked on one like this for my friend the priest . I removed the floor on the low side . Then dug a ditch from front to back and out both ends , then took 6 x 8's and slide them Under the building so they were sticking out both ends . From here you have to determine what kind of bracing will be necessary so you can Lift the low side and bring it back to level . More than likely the structural members that the walls were framed upon when initially built are termite infested and May Not worth saving but that becomes a subjective decision depending on how much emotional value you'll have placed upon the building . My guess is you've got very soft soil so digging may not be a challenge. You'll be a structural engineer , by the time you finish evaluating all the various forces that conspire to collapse the building when you start jacking up the low side .lol , fordy

[chickenista]

If it were me I would take that building down and build a proper, functional and awesome springhouse.
My favorite springhouse was concrete floored. It had about 6 steps down into it. There was a deep 'well' from which the spring sprang and a dipper hanging from the wall for sipping the best drink on earth!!
There was a deep channel where the water flowed. It had sections for keeping things cool like milk, butter and watermelons. There were shelves and storage bins too for things like carrots that like it cool and moist.
In the heat of the summer after working in the gardens or playing hard the best place in teh world to stretch out was the cool floor of the springhouse.
I sure wish I had a spring here to house.
The dipper and the deep well of cold clear water to drink from was really the best part of the whole thing. It was so cold and so sweet and I would love a taste of it right now!

[CamM]

Looks to me like the place just needs diagonal bracing. Check out pictures of old barns in the midwest. They are slanting because the builders just built stud walls without supports. If the ground's too soft I'd dig down and place gravel there to replace the soft topsoil.

[ronbre]

jack it up..remove damaged wood and repair..put a better foundation under it..done.

[deaconjim]

Thanks for the suggestions. At this point I'm looking at a combination of come-alongs on one side and jacks on the other. Either it will straighten it back up, or it will be a rather novel way of tearing it down. Maybe we should find a video camera...

[RosewoodfarmVA]

Having restored countless old structures in the past, the main problem you are having is that there either is no foundation or the existing one has settled into the ground. Being in a low place probably the wet soil has allowed the foundation to settle. The moisture has then worked it's way into the walls of the building.

It will be necessary to square the building, then jack it and rebuild the floor (if you want one) and put a new stone or concrete foundation under it. First to square, make sure there is nothing preventing the building from racking back to square, then place a cable from top plate to bottom sill at both corners drilling through the walls and using a 2x6 or other such board on the outside of the walls to spread the pull evenly. Use a comealong gradually to pull the upper lean into square, watching closely for any signs of framing failure anywhere in the building. Once the structure is square (not necessarily level as the entire building appears to be leaning) and braced with diagonal 2x4s inside, heavily nail a 2x4 to both long walls into the framing, at about 2 or 3 ft from the ground nailing into solid wood. Use this to jack one side of the structure only, using the other side to keep it from swaying off the jacks. Place pieces of 6x6 under the walls on that side and jack the other side. (alternatively if you have a tractor with front end loader you can use it to pick up the walls) Once you have repeated this process and have the structure high enough off the ground, you need to replace the rotted sills, which are now carrying no weight due to the 2x4 supporting the structure. After replacing whatever rotted wood, either place stone piers in the corners digging down to solid ground and dry laying stones up to the building level, or pour a concrete foundation, depending on what kind of foundation you want. A stone pier foundation is the most common outbuilding foundation in Va but ofcourse a springhouse may need a solid one if you intend to preserve the coolth inside. Then slowly lower the structure on it's new piers and fix whatever the floor inside needs.

On a project like that you have to 'fly by the seat of your pants' as there is no 2 buildings exactly the same and often you have to use a little common sense and ingenuity along with a very observant eye to find and fix what problems the building has.

[uncle Will in In.]

The biggest problem is the building is sinking in the mud. If you get someone with a backhoe to dig down about 3 feet near each corner fill the hole he's making with coarse crushed stone. You will have solid footing to jack the building up. It looks more like it has sank more on one side that the other giving it a leaning appearance. The bottom of the walls may need to be cut off to get rid of rot. It might help to have a trench made to let the water causing the mud to drain away somewhere. After you have one side cut off like it needs to be, dig under the side with the hoe and fill with coarse stone to ground level. Put a few concrete blocks on the new stone wall and let the repaired wall down on them and do the rest of the shed the same way. Now you are ready to go to work on the new concrete floor, but that's another thread. (Right) A few small trees will make a pad to support the backhoe if needed.

[Windy in Kansas]

From the photos you actually have two problems going on. The right front foundation is sinking into the soil and the back end of the building has the frame/siding racking.

A lot of work but I think I would install 2Xs from stud to stud or plate to plate to keep the walls from spreading and then I'd undo or cut the framing from the foundation.

Jack the building up via those cross braces, Install some slides and move the building off of the foundation so that it can be repaired properly.

If need be place temporary plates running the length of the building under the cross braces so that you can use rollers under them and on top of the slides. You could simply push the building once on the rollers. Old ¾ inch sections of water pipe works well for the rollers.

Once on a good foundation the rear racking can be straightened rather easily.

That's my take for proper and rather permanent repairs.

[Cyngbaeld]

I'd go with uncle will's advice. You need to do something about the soft ground or there is no point in messing with the building.

Lovely farm you have there! Wish I had a spring!

[where I want to]

I took down a small barn that was sinking in the mud like this one- if it ever had a foundation, it had long disappeared. But since it was all old growth Redwood, it was worth taking apart, putting a new foundation on, removing the rotted pieces (dutched some of the 2x6s) and rebuilt it. It was not as much work as I thought it would be as I removed some of the walls intact and put them back in place whole- the barn was 10x12'.
If you spend a lot of time straightening it and the underpinings are rotten, it will always be a headache.
And your place is beautiful..............

BTW I think your building has racked- while the picture from the front looks square but tilted, the one from the back does not look square to me.

[ronbre]

i also think when i rebuilt the bottom i would use waterproof lumber or materials