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<br />. <br /> <br />Elevating Your House <br /> <br />Most types of homes can be elevated above floodwaters, including wood frame, brick, slab-on-grade, crawlspace or homes "ith <br />basements. This is an extremely reliable floodproofing method and requires little human intervention to prepare for a flood event. The <br />floor elevation height should be seta recommended safety margin above the IOO-year-flood level. Some buildings may be elevated over <br />9 feet above their existing floor levels. In such an extreme case the new <br />lower level would probably be used as a garage. In all cases, a new entty <br />stair and front porch is built to meet the new height. Elevating a home <br />requires use of professional plumbers! electricians, house movers, <br />contractors, and structural engineers to help you design your new <br />foundation and obtain a pennit from your building department. BeC2llSe <br />the new foundation will be in the floodwaters, it is extremely important <br />that it be structurally designed to withstand lateral (sideways) forces such <br />as fast-flowing currents and the impact of water-borne debris. <br /> <br />~= <br />/"v .~ .~.. - <br />-- -l <br />- .:. 1= <br />--~- <br /> <br /> <br />'- <br />"- <br /> <br /> <br />Basic Steps in Elevating a Building: <br /> <br />>- Have appropriate professionals disconnect all utilities. <br /> <br />>- Hire a professional house mover to disconnect your house from the <br />existing fotllldation, jack it up to the new height and provide a temporary <br />foundation. <br /> <br />Figure 1: I-beams are placed under lifting points per- <br />pendicular to floor joists with a second set beneath for <br />UDilormlilting. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />>- <br /> <br />Have the utilities temporarily reconnected so the house is liveable while <br />foundation work is done. <br /> <br />Build a temporary access stair to meet the new height <br /> <br />Build a new, permanent fotllldation. <br /> <br />Have the house mover lower the house onto the new fotllldation and <br />connect the anchor bolts. <br /> <br />Have the utilities permanently reconnected. <br /> <br />Build a new, pennanent access stair and landing <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />....- <br />~ - <br />~::: <br />~ <br /> <br />>- <br /> <br /> <br />I <br />-..!.I <br />.......-:--l <br /> <br />&"" <br />~ - <br />.. I <br />~ j....,-- <br />- . <br />:-- BEGIHNING NE"W <br />'OUNOATIO~ <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />.-- <br /> <br />>- <br /> <br />>- <br /> <br />>- <br /> <br />>- <br /> <br />Figure 2: The house is detached from the foundation, <br />lifted by jacks, and a new found21ion is built beneath it. <br /> <br /> <br />~81 <br /> <br />-81' <br />Dt--- l.ATEA.A.l <br />_ 1l_'UPI'ORT <br />- .~ <br />"'." ,....., <br /> <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />Figure 3: lifting bl'2D1S are placed under bearing walls and posts for a slab-on-grade house. <br />The house is uniformly lifted using jacks. A new foundation and Ooor is buill under the house. <br /> <br />Fi~u.re 4: POSlS can also be atIchored in concrete en- <br />casemenLS. <br /> <br />Protecting li:nlr Hom(' from Flood /JQmQge, Revised 1996, 2nd Edition. <br />Fedcr-J.! Emcrgenc\." ~1anaJ:emenl Agency. <br /> <br />9 <br />