One of Bill Cosby’s most famous stand-up comedy acts was called “Noah.” I am not going to recite the whole monologue and if you want to hear it you can find it here: Noah. It is a little long---but funny as all get out. You see, Noah is building the Ark and his neighbor comes over and wants the pile of wood out of his driveway so that he can go to work. Noah is being secretive and won’t tell him what he is building and the neighbor wants to know if Noah can at least give him a hint. Noah says, “You want a hint? I’ll give you a hint----how long---can you tread water?” This brings me today’s post about hydraulic jacks. While the connection between Noah and hydraulic jacks may be hard to imagine, I promise there is a connection----of sorts. You see, hydraulic jacks work on the principle that when you pump them up, oil is pumped into a cylinder under the piston through a one way valve which causes the piston to move up and be “uplifting.” Now---as long as that one way valve does not leak, whatever you lifted will stay lifted. If the valve starts to leak-----things can tumble down or at least get all cattywampus. In my most recent crawl space adventure there were five of these jacks holding up the house so that a new foundation could be poured under one side of the home. It had been this way for several years----symbolic of someone’s dream gone awry---or at least out of money. These five jacks have been “treading water” pretty well, for a long time----how much longer is anyone’s guess. All bets are off when all the beasts of the world----two of a kind----both male and female, start to party in the house. 
Charles Buell
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Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
My gosh.
Does a home owner need a permit to support the weight of their home in this manner??
Seems that this property should come with a "Warning Label" ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Lenn, you would think so wouldn't you? This was a huge homeowner remodel out in the boonies with no permits. What they had done was actually done very well----the builder had just run out of money a couple of owners ago and the most recent owner never got around to doing anything about it.
That house looks like it will hold up, from the looks of the jack, it's been there for a long time.
I am with you, Lord only knows how much longer these will hold up the house. I saw fix it already!
Sonny do you suppose that by now the rust is "helping?"
For sure Betina----time to finish the project.
Riiiighhht!
Isn't that actually a selling point? The Adjustable foundation is all the rage in Europe!
I have seen worse holding homes up... Stacks of broken bricks and block. Firewood pieces... Ect. Jack are a welcomed sight.... I still would not testify to safety....
Michael, bumper jacks would be good:)
Alan?----who is this really?
Robert---I think I would prefer an adjustable mortgage.
Diane, nor would I:)
I would really hate to be in that house when those jacks decide to give! The tv stations will be getting a call inquiring about an earthquake for sure!
Okay Charles... you just got me this time. I just really can't wrap my head around someone holding their house up with jacks. Were the jacks cheaper than blocks?
Jim & Maria, and I wonder what an actual earthquake would do:)
Tammy, they were just meant to be employed temporarily until they could get the foundation poured----not meant to be full time employees:)
Charles, who ever worked on that crawlspace worked down here as well. Okay, I'm kidding about that but I have several crawlspace pictures where the jack has been used as a permanent support. I've also seen a few where a regular car jack has been employed.
Suesan, what is that they say about these builders----"they don't know jack?"
Charlie - Wow!! How many cattywampai houses do you have out there!?? Was that done by the homeowner hoping to get around to a new foundation (something all of us does just about once or twice in our lives) or by a GC? Either way, cattywampafication is frightful... Your Noah analogy is a great one!
Mr Charles,
Looks like that house might seasonally have moisture. Please keep my aquatic consultation services in mind.
Nutsy
Jay, I am not sure but I think it was a contractors own house.
Nutsy----all your cousins were already making enough of a mess of the place.
Good for me!!! I can under stand this blog. I just finished the one on electricity and felt like a super dunce but this one even I can understand!!! They're both good. It's not your fault that I am slow.......
Barbara, the electricity one is one I have to go over and over and over the most with students----it is not all that easy to wrap ones brain around. The Jack one is another story:)
Charles - Isn't the fact that its been left on the wood for so long just asking for termites as well? I'm not an inspector, but it looks like its begging for a good chomping by a ravenous hoard of termites. (Just trying to learn some more from you.)
Yes Matt---vulnerable to decay as well as several wood destroying insects.
Charlie - Well, with the last post on the electrical wiring and now this one about the temp jacks, I would think you visited the last house I sold with the same issues!
Carol, fortunately I don't find too many houses supported by hydrolic jacks.