Common causes
- Rotted or crushed posts
- Pier blocks settling in soil that stays saturated through the wet season
- Sagging beams with long spans
- Moisture damage to joists
- On slopes, piers affected by water moving through the hill
The leveling work
When the cause is local, leveling usually means repairing or adding posts and piers and adjusting them gradually. We pair it with drainage or a vapor barrier if moisture played a part.
River flats and eastern hills
Kelso homes sit on two kinds of ground. Near the Cowlitz River, the soil under many crawl spaces stays wet for much of the year, and older pier blocks set right on that soil can sink a little at a time. Up on the hills east of downtown, water moving through the slope tends to soften the soil under the uphill piers first, so floors drop toward one side of the house. Knowing where your home sits helps us know where to look first.
What you get from us
- Floor measurements before and after, so you can see the change
- Photos of the supports we found and what we replaced
- New posts and piers on proper footings where the old ones failed
- A plan for the water that caused the problem, so it doesn't come back
What affects the scope in Kelso
- Cause: local support issue vs. broader movement
- Number of supports involved
- Hillside access and tall posts
- Drainage around piers
- Engineering needs
Track changes over time
If you're not sure whether a floor is still moving, simple tracking helps: mark the ends of cracks with a pencil and date, or note how a door closes month to month.
Questions from Kelso homeowners
My Kelso floor got worse this winter. What does that mean?
A floor that changes over a wet winter often points to a pier settling in saturated soil. Call us soon — we'll find the cause, support the floor properly and handle the water behind it.
How do I get an estimate?
Getting started is easy. Call or text (360) 470-4956, or fill out the form on this page. We'll learn what's going on beneath your home, schedule a time to take a look, and give you a straightforward floor leveling estimate.