House Elevation Methods

Adding a Second Story

• Adding a second story to a home turns the existing lower level into the ground level of the property and installs the new floor as living space. According to the University of New Orleans, this house elevation method is possible for a home with slab foundation construction. A slab foundation has no piers of floor joists. The slab itself serves as the floor system for the home's ground level. With a second story add-on, contractors often convert the home's ground level into a garage or storage space with vents and openings added to allow ground water to flow away from the structure.

Wall Extension Method

• The wall extension method raises the walls of the home upward from the lowest floor. A home with slab foundation construction can use this elevation method. Contractors remove the roof to extend structural support beams upwards to provide increased stability. Builders also add additional bricks and siding to cover the exterior of the home where the new walls extend. A licensed structural engineer must inspect the home's foundation to ensure it can support the new building weight. The home might require a new foundation system to support the additional structural weight if the engineer cannot certify the home.

Jack Elevation Method

• The jack elevation method lifts the entire home -- floors and all. Building contractors install a new foundation wall, piers or steel beams under the original floor framing. Then, hydraulic jacks lift the property in small increments. Once the property reaches the desired height, contractors dig trenches around the home to install a new foundation system. This process involves additional steel beams, concrete and new vents to allow water to flow around the structure. This method of home elevation is only possible in a home without slab foundation construction.

Slab Elevation Techniques

• Elevating an entire house with a slab foundation is a large undertaking by multiple construction teams. Contractors must dig trenches underneath the home's foundation to reveal the structure's slab footing. Crews must then dig additional tunnels to place steel beams underneath the slab footing. A team of hydraulic jacks lift the foundation -- along with the rest of the property -- slowly with stacked wood beams underneath the jacks to prevent catastrophic damage to the home.