How can we evaluate whether the floors need reinforcement and if so what is the best way to do this.
Saggin second story floors.
Floors out of level windows and doors sticking or not closing properly bouncy floors or floors that sag in spots in a room.
Water damaged or structurally damaged first floor joists causing the joists to deflect or sag.
And not all structural problems are that big a deal.
On the top side of the floor another fix it idea to lay down new hardwood over the existing floor.
If the floor is sagging visibly in the middle or is very bouncy you may want to reinforce the floor to eliminate the sag and reduce the bounciness.
Thre ways to fix a sagging or sloping floor.
Again this could be a sign of dry rotted second floor joists.
If a load bearing wall is removed on the first floor then the second story floor joist or trusses may drop down in the area where the load bearing wall was removed.
You will have to make sure your joists can handle the addition of considerably more weight from the plywood subfloor and any floor coverings.
Sagging floors are often the symptoms of structural damage to the floor joists below the surface.
Common reasons for sloping or sagging second story floors.
Load bearing wall removed or altered on first floor.
To prevent the collapse of your second story or injury from falling through a rotten floor you must repair the joists as soon as possible.
Foundation issues deteriorating wood supports especially sills which rest on the foundation footer improperly installed joists or sub floors and other issues can all cause a floor to slope or sag.
Termites can rot or damage the joists typically made of wood rendering the pieces unable to hold up the floor.
On average nationwide repairing a sagging floor costs between 1 000 and 10 000.
How much you pay will depend on what s causing the floor to sag type of flooring concrete hardwood etc and how many square feet of floor is involved.
Isolated to first floor isolated to second floor both floors.
A plywood subfloor will bridge any minor waves in the existing floor and leveling compound would help too.
But if all the floors in the house slope to the middle that says something more serious to me.
There are lots of clues that indicate structural problems in a house.
The first and second floors in our house seem overly bouncy and sag toward the middle.
The average hourly cost for floor repairs is between 75 and 125 for the labor alone.
Depending upon the conditions it is possible to strengthen or repair existing framing members such as floor joists or roof rafters by adding reinforcing material sandwiching the member on either side with plywood is sometimes worthwhile but the plywood must be installed correctly for greatest strength.
