Are There Other Crawl Space Solutions I Can Implement?

The IntelliJack™ system is the best solution for sagging crawl spaces. Other repair options are not recommended because they tend to be poorly made or work as temporary fixes, at best. Let’s take a closer look into why other repair options simply will not work.  

• Concrete Columns 

The columns that support your crawl space beams or floor joists are sometimes made from concrete blocks stacked on a concrete footing. These blocks are held together with a simple mortar. The extra space between the top block in the stack and the floor girder above is then filled with wooden spacers known as “shims.” 

Unfortunately, the mortar used to keep the concrete blocks together takes a long time to cure, making this entire process very time-consuming. You also do not have the added benefit of adjustable, tightening columns. This means that you will constantly have to add more shimming as your concrete columns settle into the poor soil. The wood girder itself may also shrink or rot over time, which leads to even more repairs that installing the IntelliJack™ system would prevent.  

• Additional Shimming 

Constantly installing additional shimming to make up for sinking concrete columns will cost you much more time and money than it is worth. You will also have to buy temporary jacks to lift your girder up while you push these shims into place. Its imprecise placement may also negatively affect the leveling of your crawl space. At best, these additional shims only present a short-term fix before you need to install something more long-lasting like the IntelliJack™ system. 

Additional shims are also of cheap quality. You will not even be able to rely on their support for very long, especially if you live in a more wet climate than most. Storms or other harsh weather might knock some of these cheap shims loose and make your crawl space uneven all over again.  

• Light-Duty Jack Posts 

Most hardware stores will also sell jack post systems that claim they will lift your crawl space up. However, many of the posts they sell are skinny and are incapable of bearing too much weight at once. Our IntelliJack™ crawl space support system, however, is rated to support up to 24,860 pounds per jack and is tested and certified to the highest industry standards. 

The light-duty jack posts are installed on top of the concrete block that rests on the ground within the crawl space. This not only makes them difficult to adjust but also creates even poorer stability than before. They will also not compensate for weak soils or sinking, so it is best to avoid these systems altogether.