Sloping Or Uneven Floors: Causes And Repairs
Most houses are developed with relatively even floors but slope over time because of sinking or sagging floor supports. Once the floor supports begin to sink, the floors can become sloped and uneven.
In homes with a crawlspace, the outside walls are supported on a continuous footing along the perimeter of the home and the inside walls are supported on footings and piers, which support beams, floor joists, and the subfloor. One or more of these building components can lead to uneven floors.
If you have sinking and uneven floors, your floor support is inadequate. The only reason things inside the living space of a home drop are because the supports underneath have dropped.
CAUSES OF SLOPING UNEVEN FLOORS
It’s important to accurately diagnose the cause of your sinking uneven floors. There could be multiple causes or any combination for sinking and uneven floors:
- A pier settled
- The foundation has settled
- Floor joists or girder beam is sagging and bowing
- Joists or beams could be rotten
- Damp joists or beams could be crushed under the weight of the home, aka compression
The best repair varies from home to home. There are many repair techniques we use to properly stabilize the uneven floors and make them feel more even. The main goal should be to prevent further sinking.
HOW TO REPAIR SLOPING UNEVEN FLOORS
The main repairs used to stabilize and correct uneven floors are:
- New footings with crawl space support jacks
- Supplemental beams installed mid-span on joists
- Foundation push piers
- Foundation underpinning
- Beam replacement
- Beam reinforcement with steel
- Sistering floor joists
It is most important for optimum results to use additional supports that can be adjusted, have adequate support (between components and the footing), as well as be suited for the rugged environment of a crawl space.
Call Now