House Jacks & Floor Support Posts in Roanoke, VA
APPALACHIAN FOUNDATION SERVICES
A house jack is an adjustable steel post installed in the crawl space or basement to support and raise the floor framing above it. When floors sag, bounce, or slope, it is often because the supports under the home have failed, settled, or were never adequate. Appalachian Foundation Services installs and adjusts house jacks — also called crawl space jacks or floor support posts — in Roanoke, VA to level the floor, carry the load correctly, and keep the framing from moving further.
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Appalachian Foundation Services
What House Jacks Actually Do
Your floor is carried by joists and beams. Those beams rest on supports down in the crawl space or basement. When a support post is undersized, rotted at the base, sitting on soil that has shifted, or simply missing where the span is too long, the floor above it starts to drop. A house jack replaces or reinforces that support. It is an engineered steel post that transfers the weight of the floor down to a proper footing, and it can be adjusted to bring a sagging area back toward level. Done correctly, jacks restore the load path the home was supposed to have — not just prop up a symptom.
Signs You May Need House Jacks
- Floors that sag, slope, or dip toward the center of a room
- Bouncy or springy floors that move when you walk
- Soft spots underfoot
- Gaps opening between the floor and the baseboard or trim
- Doors and windows that stick or won’t latch
- Visible leaning, cracked, or sunken support posts in the crawl space
- A beam that is sagging between its supports
These are the same warning signs as a failing floor system in general, which is why an inspection matters: the fix might be new support posts, repair of the wood framing, or both.
House Jacks vs. Floor Joist Repair — What's the Difference?
This trips up a lot of homeowners, so here it is plainly. Joists and beams are the wood members that carry your floor. House jacks are the support system that holds those members at the correct height. If the wood is cracked, rotted, or termite-damaged, that framing needs repair — see our floor joist repair page. If the wood is sound but the support underneath has failed or settled, the answer is proper jacks and posts. Many homes need a combination: repair the damaged wood, then support it correctly so it stays put. We identify which during the inspection instead of selling one fix for every floor.
Temporary Jacks vs. Permanent Support
You may have seen a screw jack or a stack of blocks thrown under a beam as a quick prop. That is temporary, and it usually is not sitting on a real footing — which means it can sink or fail again. We install permanent, engineered support: adjustable steel posts set on an adequate footing, sized to the load, and placed where the structure actually needs support. Where a sagging area can be safely brought back toward level, we do it gradually and correctly, so we relieve stress on the framing instead of cracking finishes above.
House Jack & Floor Support Options
There is no single support fix that fits every floor. The right approach depends on what failed under your home and why. These are the support options we use, matched to your home during the inspection rather than sold as a one-size package.
Adjustable steel support posts
Permanent support, not a temporary prop
Beam and girder support
Bringing sagging floors back toward level
Moisture-aware footings
Appalachian Foundation Services
How We Approach Support Work in Roanoke Homes
Roanoke has a lot of older homes with crawl spaces, and their original supports were often minimal — short posts on dirt, or spans that were never adequate by today’s standards. Add decades of moisture and soil movement, and the supports give way. When we inspect, we look at the whole load path: where the floor is sagging, the condition of the beams and joists, the footing under each post, moisture in the crawl space, and whether the span needs an added support point. Then we build a support plan matched to that home. If moisture is part of the cause, we address it too, so the new supports aren’t set into the same wet conditions that caused the failure — see foundation and basement waterproofing.
Why Roanoke Homeowners Trust Appalachian Foundation Services
Appalachian Foundation Services is a Roanoke, VA structural and foundation specialist serving the Roanoke Valley since 2015, with over a decade of framing and structural experience. We work on modern homes and on older balloon-frame, post-and-beam, and log construction throughout the Roanoke Valley — the exact homes where original floor supports tend to fail. We use professionally engineered support systems, and because we also handle the wood repair and the moisture side, you don’t need three different contractors to fix one sagging floor. Every job starts with a free inspection.
Schedule Your Free Floor Support Inspection
If your floors sag, bounce, or slope, the support underneath is worth a look before the problem spreads. We’ll inspect the crawl space or basement, show you what we find, and lay out whether the fix is house jacks, wood repair, or both. Call (540) 251-4391 or request your free floor support inspection today.
Frequently Asked Questions
A house jack is an adjustable steel support post installed in the crawl space or basement to hold up and, when needed, raise the floor framing above it. It carries the floor’s weight down to a proper footing.
Yes, when the sag is caused by failed or inadequate support. Jacks restore the load path and can gradually bring the area back toward level. If the wood joists themselves are rotted or damaged, that framing also has to be repaired.
Joists and beams are the wood members that carry the floor. House jacks are the support system that holds those members at the right height. Some homes need new supports; some need wood repair, and many need both.
No. A temporary screw jack or a post on blocks usually isn’t on a real footing and can sink or fail again. Permanent support means an engineered steel post sized to the load and set on an adequate footing.
Sagging, sloping, or bouncy floors, gaps at the baseboards, sticking doors, or visibly leaning posts in the crawl space are common signs. An inspection confirms whether the fix is for support posts, wood repair, or both.