Through the years we have tackled some challenging structural repair projects on historic houses and churches. On more than one occasion we have lifted entire houses because their foundations had failed and needed to be replaced. Many more of our projects have involved jacking, squaring, and straightening old buildings. On one our recent renovations, the house (built ca. 1795) had floors that sagged 4-6". We temporarily removed the floor boards, reinforced the floor framing with engineered lumber, and installed custom welded steel brackets to hold the frame together. Now the floors are nearly flat throughout the house.
Many structural upgrades are required in order to meet current building codes. We reinforce old timber frames with modern engineered lumber and/or steel beams and columnsin order to satisfy the engineers and inspectors. Likewise, when we convert old barns and carriage houses into offices or homes we must ensure that the building will stand up to the new use.
Because we understand how old buildings were put together, we are adept at crafting and carrying out solutions to any structural problem. Have an old house or church that needs repairs? Give us a call!
Several years ago we were called in to solve a serious structural problem at an early 19th century church in Rehoboth, MA. The steeple was starting to settle in an alarming way leading to cracker plaster and other problems. Working with an engineer, we installed a steel truss under the steeple, and a series of wooden trusses elsewhere in the roof structure. When the structural repairs were complete, we recreated the curved plaster ceiling. In the end, after an extensive structural repair, the appearance of the church was virtually unchanged.
