What do sagging floors mean

They are more likely to pair well with other drainage or moisture control options and treatments than to wholly replace them, however. Finding the right combination of options for your home can be tricky. Talk to an experienced contractor about your priorities and concerns. They will be able to assist you in selecting the best treatments and solutions for your property.

Schedule an inspection and let the experts help you identify the best ways to protect your home today. Since most people spend several hours each day in their houses, it is not surprising that they experience health issues when exposed to various pollutants. May 14, Share This Post. Share on facebook. Share on linkedin. Share on twitter. Share on email. Keep reading now to get the facts. Why Floors Sag. Floor Construction Essentials. Joists are typically made of sturdy woods such as: Hemlock Douglas fir Southern yellow pine Spruce Redwood Western red cedar Eastern white pine The exact combination of wood type, length, and span depends on a variety of factors unique to each house.

Other signs of damaged joists and impending sag include: Buckling, crumbling, or cracks in your foundation Cracks forming in the interior of a home, especially around walls and corners Windows and doors that become either very loose or very tight in their frames.

Are Sagging Floors Dangerous? What to Expect. After inspecting your home, a professional will be able to tell you: What kind of damage you have and how extensive it is What steps you need to take to correct the damage Roughly how much replacement joists, framing repair , new flooring, and other project components will cost Whether you need French drains as part of the project This will set you up with everything you need to know to make the best decisions.

Interior French Drains. They involve: Cutting a trench in the ground to lead water away from somewhere it should not be your crawl space to some more appropriate outlet Lining the trench with gravel and suitable fabric Laying a perforated pipe in the trench to channel water Done correctly, this combination of pipe, fabric, and gravel directs water away from problem areas.

Especially old homes in the Charlotte area can suffer from structural issues such as sagging floors that are critical to keep an eye on and address as soon as signs begin to show that they are happening. Here are several indicators of a sagging floor:. When sagging floors begin to make their presence known, it should not be ignored.

However, like many things regarding home repairs, the longer you ignore the problem, the worse it will become. One of the Sherrill Structural Repair specialists can inspect your floors and determine the best plan of action. Sloping and sagging floors can be a warning sign of structural issues, fortunately, most slopping floors are not significantly serious, so little is done about them.

Often the reason for the second - floor sloping relates to framing issues, poor engineering, past remodeling, water damage or pest issues like termites. Fixing a Sloping Floor Foundation specialists will repair any structural problems first, then use one of a few different techniques to mend your sloping floor.

This might involve jacking up floor joists and installing supports, or it could require jacking up the whole house and installing new footers. Floors that slope 2 or 3 inches in 20 feet would be a very serious concern. When the soil underneath the foundation starts to shift, various parts of the foundation may sink a little bit deeper into the ground.

As a result, the foundation will no longer lay flat against the ground. Therefore, it's not safe to assume that your house is settling simply because there are cracks in the foundation. Skewed or unlevel door and window frames. Sagging, sloping, or uneven upstairs floors. Tilting or sinking crawl space supports. Cracks in the interior drywall. If a crack or sag is isolated to one area, the sister joist should extend at least 3 ft. But it's usually best to run the sister joist over the entire span.

When the sagging joists are level, apply a generous bead of construction adhesive to the existing joist. Sloped floors are common in older homes , and even in homes as new as 15 to 30 years. Sloping floors are most often caused by normal and acceptable deflection bend in the wood joists which comprise the floor structure. Pronounced floor slopes can, however, be an indication of a structural problem that needs attention. When a floor joist or joists are too long and extend past the center beam, they can cause a hump in the floor.

Wood is highly porous and readily absorbs water from the air. Over time, this water saturation softens and rots the boards.

As they decay, they compress under the weight of your home, lowering your floor sometimes by several inches. Insects are another frequent perpetrator; termites are a well-known home invader. But there are also several subspecies of beetles that eat wood. Powderpost beetles are common and difficult to recognize. These tiny menaces lay their eggs inside wooden beams, and when they hatch, the larvae eat the wood. Both beetles and termites will infest your structural wooden flooring system and gnaw damage as they go.

Human error is another possibility, particularly if your home has been retrofitted with updated plumbing, electrical, or HVAC products. Making room for these types of installations can be difficult, and sometimes a contractor will cut or notch some of the joists- or even the main support beam- to make room for new pipes or venting. These cause weak spots in the flooring structure that will eventually crack or split. Lack of building codes- or outdated ones- are another concern.

A main support beam, the post that spans the length of your home, should be sized proportionately and supported every few feet. In many homes, the beams may not be the correct size or the support posts are installed too far apart. This over-spanning puts greater stress on the beam and makes it more likely to sag and potentially even fail.

When a home is built, sometimes the beams or joists are not the correct dimensions. Many times in construction, that shim was usually another piece of wood; at Acculevel we use steel shims to prevent compression or rot.

The wooden shim has compressed, lowering the joist. Technology is another age-related factor. New solutions and materials are always in development, but they take time to become commonplace.