Pier and Post Foundation Lifespan

[Elena]

Dad built the cabin on a pier and post foundation in 1984. Should we start planning what we'll build when the foundation fails or should we make the minor improvements we desire? Will this 24x20 cottage on rocky Wisconsin soil last 10 more years? 20 more years? Or will it explode or something? What happens when such a foundation begins to fail?

[peg_688]

If you can go under and poke each post with a scribe / ice pick.   A good post you'll only get the scribe in 1/4 " or less . If a post is rotting / bad the probe will go in easy / a long way   Start there, then give us a report . If they are solid plan away  
  A lot of how long is very "site specfic" to general to say , IMHO, HTBH ;)PEG

    A slow settling , rarely a quick drop.

[glenn-k]

Great advice from PEG - check it out as he says then remember - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Laura21]

Hi

Where I am, there are quite a lot of post and pier small houses built. When a post starts to fail, the house is jacked up to support the spot where the post has failed and then the repairs are done to the post and the house lowered back unto the post.

The Ice pick test is good to test for failure.

Laura