Crawl Space
Crawl Space Repair in Charleston, SC
Structural repairs under the house, in the order they matter.
Structural repairs under the house, in the order they matter.
Quick answer: Crawl space repair starts with the water, then the wood: find and stop the moisture, then repair rotted joist ends and sills, sagging girders and settled piers, with temporary support in place before anything load-bearing comes out. Southeastern Renovation does this structural work in the Charleston area and York County under SC general contractor license CLG.127339. Call (843) 718-8177.
Plan the scope: What to check before hiring a crawl space contractor.
Related: Why Is My Floor Soft or Bouncy in One Spot? · Is Standing Water in My Crawlspace a Problem? · Why Is One Room Always Hotter Than the Rest of the House?.
Sagging floors, soft joists and failed girders are usually the visible end of a long moisture problem. Replacing the wood without removing the water means replacing it again, so the order is: find the water, stop it, then repair what it damaged.
The common findings are a short list. Joist ends rotted where they sit on a damp sill. Girders sagging between piers that have settled unevenly. Subfloor gone soft under a bathroom, which is a plumbing leak until proven otherwise. Ductwork disconnected or crushed, which is why one room never gets comfortable.
Anything that is carrying load gets treated as structural work, because it is — temporary support goes in before anything comes out, and members are sized rather than matched by eye to what is already there.
We take this work across greater Charleston, from Summerville and Goose Creek to Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and the sea islands, and on the York County side around Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie. More on our crawl space services.
Usually a joist or girder that has lost strength to moisture, or a pier that has settled. Which one it is decides the repair completely, so it is worth identifying rather than assuming.
No — the water comes first. Replacing rotted framing while the source of the moisture is still there means doing the same repair again in a few years.
It often is. Disconnected or crushed ductwork under the floor is a very common finding, and it presents upstairs as a single room that never quite reaches temperature.