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Leveling a building

M

Moonlite37

Well-known Member
I was in quite a discussion with some fellows about how to level a small building. Some had a lot more experience than I had but all the others agreed with the more experienced ones. Nobody thought I was right and even called me ignorant.
We were leveling a small building about 10 x 16. I maintained that the easiest way is to level diagonally from corner to corner. Then level the opposite diagonal corners, Only two levelings are required. All others argued to level one side then an end and then the opposite side.
I want to hear from some experienced carpenters.
 
I would start at the highest corner and work my way around the parameter of the building. Going across the middle diagonally unless you had a water level you would have to have a level about 18' long as the floor probably sags in the middle whereas the sides would be held flat by the walls.
 
Don't come over to my place I moved one about that size set it down put cross 4x4 under the skids and called it good. I know it is not perfectly level as the back sits lower.
 
Some people have been doing things a certain way for so long that they can't fathom doing things any differently. It's an insult on their intelligence and their honor to even suggest such a thing. If you think you are going to sway their opinions, you've got another thing coming.

As long as it works for you who cares what other people think?
 
What makes the difference how you get there? When it is actually level you can lay a level any which direction and it will show level. If you don't start at the highest corner and work from that point going around the outside one way or the other it will most likely take a bit longer.
On a yard building that size, unless you are on a side hill or going to play marbles on the floor I wouldn't get worked up about it.
 
(quoted from post at 05:04:16 12/13/16) I was in quite a discussion with some fellows about how to level a small building. Some had a lot more experience than I had but all the others agreed with the more experienced ones. Nobody thought I was right and even called me ignorant.
We were leveling a small building about 10 x 16. I maintained that the easiest way is to level diagonally from corner to corner. Then level the opposite diagonal corners, Only two levelings are required. All others argued to level one side then an end and then the opposite side.
I want to hear from some experienced carpenters.
Click to expand...
ave you ever tried to do a building this way or is it a theory in progress?
 
The problem I see with your method is that while the diagonal corners are level both ways, they may not be on the same plane. After leveling the first diagonal you then need to level one of the remaining corners to the first line to establish a height for the second diagonal. Without doing that, you can have two corners high and the two opposite corners lower with none of the sides level along the side.
 
What is it you're leveling, and what are you using to level it? If you're not using a transit or laser level, your results are going to be questionable.

The first and only time I leveled a mobile home, I found it to be a lot trickier than one would think. Mobile home frames flex quite a bit, making it a real challenge to level one. The same is true for most other structures; you can't jack one corner and expect the entire floor to move as if it's a rigid plane. That's probably why your buddies want to level one side at a time. The rim joist will be fairly rigid, and you can block it along its length so it's both level and STRAIGHT. If you jack opposite corners, how will you support the middle of the floor so it doesn't flex? Admittedly, the flex might not be much on small shed, but it's always there and the more you can control it the better your results will be.
 
i leveled a small shed about that size 2 years ago, the ground was close after being scraped with a tractor, but i just placed a 4 foot level on the shed floor i started side to side and got those level, then turned the level 90 degrees and got the ends level, then went back and checked the first 2 sides , got it real close and it still is, the things in it now dont want to roll, and the doors when open dont drift one way or the other by themselves
 

I don't see how the fourth corner is going to just follow the third corner to the plane of the first and second. At least I know that it would not for me. Having done a fair amount of building leveling I would be looking for the least moving of my cribbing and blocking and jacks.
 
One way would be to put a bench mark in the near middle of the floor at the level of the first two corners then make the second two match that height. Jim
 
Fill a clear plastic hose with water and mark the water levels around the building and use those as your benchmarks. Can't fool gravity. Ben
 
On something that small I would just use my 4 foot level, if it was bigger I would use the water level system. I wonder how the Egyptians leveled the pyramids, I understand they're really close, probably follow the curvature of the earth!
 

One theory on leveling the pyramids is that they dug a ditch around the site and filled it with water, then dug down to the water level.

KEH
 
In this day and age I am surprised no one said anything about lasers. There quick and true. Or you could set up a transit and shoot all 4 corners setting new hubs as you go around the building, or cut some holes in the wall and shoot from 1 hub. Or you could hire a surveyor with a total station and then you wouldn't have to cut holes in the wall. Or you could use a 4' level corner to corner diagonally.
 
Depends if it's made of plywood or individual boards, plywood rigid but individual boards very flexible unless on a diagonal
 
Take a 2x4 10' or 12' long, nail small 2x blocks on the two bottom corners, and attach a 4' level down the middle on top. Set it diagonal, aiming corner to corner, and level the building diagonal corner to corner until the level reads level. Turn it the other way, do it again. DO NOT overthink this.
 
Thank you all for answering. It was just a theory and I did not allow that the floor ,ay be uneven. I am not a carpenter but I am a steel fabricator. I was applying the way that I adjust a sight level by leveling opposite diagonal corners.
 
(quoted from post at 10:24:17 12/13/16) Thank you all for answering. It was just a theory and I did not allow that the floor ,ay be uneven. I am not a carpenter but I am a steel fabricator. I was applying the way that I adjust a sight level by leveling opposite diagonal corners.
Click to expand...
our way may work in a totally rigid project.
 
(quoted from post at 06:04:16 12/13/16) I was in quite a discussion with some fellows about how to level a small building. Some had a lot more experience than I had but all the others agreed with the more experienced ones. Nobody thought I was right and even called me ignorant.
We were leveling a small building about 10 x 16. I maintained that the easiest way is to level diagonally from corner to corner. Then level the opposite diagonal corners, Only two levelings are required. All others argued to level one side then an end and then the opposite side.
I want to hear from some experienced carpenters.
Click to expand...

Water level. 8)
 
(quoted from post at 18:30:14 12/13/16)
(quoted from post at 06:04:16 12/13/16) I was in quite a discussion with some fellows about how to level a small building. Some had a lot more experience than I had but all the others agreed with the more experienced ones. Nobody thought I was right and even called me ignorant.
We were leveling a small building about 10 x 16. I maintained that the easiest way is to level diagonally from corner to corner. Then level the opposite diagonal corners, Only two levelings are required. All others argued to level one side then an end and then the opposite side.
I want to hear from some experienced carpenters.
Click to expand...

Water level. 8)
Click to expand...

Read other responses? :roll:
 
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