Can your Foundation Support a Remodel?

Making major changes in your life can be exciting and frightening all at the same time. It takes courage to try something new. Your patience, determination and willpower will all be tested. You may even have to adjust the relationships within your family and close circle of friends. So it often comes down to whether or not you get the support you need. Of course, we can only be talking about one thing here – remodeling your home. 

Yep, just like in life, making major home renovations can quickly turn disastrous if your foundation doesn’t offer the proper support for your new vision. Often homeowners and contractors alike fail to consider the additional weight of newly added structures (tile, hardwood floors, granite, etc.) and first ensure the home’s existing foundation offers the proper support required. In worst-case scenarios, you end up spending way more money than originally budgeted to go back and fix structural problems after the remodel is complete.

The good news is this nightmare is very easy to avoid. To determine if your home has the proper support necessary to complete a proposed remodel successfully, you must first have it inspected by a qualified contractor or structural engineer. If there’s an issue, they’ll find it and can advise you on what steps to take before you get started. This is important if you’re planning a DIY project. 

Assessing a Home’s Structure

Some homes – especially older homes – were not always designed to carry heavy loads. As a result, they may require supplemental support to avoid damages down the road or settling that can crack tile and granite. 

There can be different issues depending on the age of the home. Homes over 80 years old often have over-spanned joists that cause deflection when overloaded. In addition, their supports are often spanned too far apart on supporting girders. Newer homes often built in the 1970s through the 1990s have over-spanned joists but also lumber dimensions that could be undersized to carry certain load capacities that can occur when modernizing or remodeling a home.

Weighing Additional Support

You may need additional supports such as drop girders, new piers and/or new steel alpha supports. Check the floor system for any signs of wood rot or improper framing. If the repairs needed are not performed by a professional, the result can damage your newly remodeled space and your wallet. 

In the past, most floors featured a lightweight vinyl floor or even carpet. Then the home is remodeled with new tile, plus the cement board, thin set, grout and other components needed when installing heavier tiles. Take a bathroom remodel, for example, which can include a new large walk-in shower with tile, granite, marble or similar products, as well as a new tub – Jacuzzi, claw foot or free standing. Then factor in the significant weight of walk-in master closets with new built-ins and an island in the center of the space. 

Let’s look at a simple example and imagine that you want to upgrade the countertop of a kitchen island to the typical 1.25-inch thick granite. This stuff usually weighs 18 – 20 pounds per square foot, so if your island measures 5 feet by 4 feet, that works out to 20-square feet or an additional 400 pounds of pressure on your foundation just for the granite alone. As kitchen remodels are the number one home renovation project in America, you can see how the weight of granite countertops, heavy new stainless steel appliances, new cabinetry, etc., can quickly add up to thousands of extra pounds pressing down on your foundation. 

Knowing the Signs of Incorrect Support

You'll usually find out soon enough if you don’t have the proper support. The newly added weight can cause settling, wall cracks, sagging floors, damaged tiles, granite countertops settling or cracking, and the list goes on. The cost to come back later and fix the problems? Each project is unique, so it’s hard to pinpoint a specific dollar amount – but let’s be honest and just say it’s not cheap. 

Home remodels and upgrades can be wonderful things, breathing new life into spaces and rooms that have served us well over the years. Just make sure that before you embark – you have the proper “support network” you need so that everything turns out as beautiful and functional as you imagined. Good luck with your project, and please let us know if we can help.