How can we evaluate whether the floors need reinforcement and if so what is the best way to do this.
Sagging floor 2nd story.
Common reasons for sloping or sagging second story floors.
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.
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.
Thre ways to fix a sagging or sloping 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.
Load bearing wall removed or altered on first floor.
Temporary adjustable floor jack tall enough to reach the floor joists from the basement floor.
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.
Again this could be a sign of dry rotted second floor joists.
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.
Water damaged or structurally damaged first floor joists causing the joists to deflect or sag.
A plywood subfloor will bridge any minor waves in the existing floor and leveling compound would help too.
Although most floors slope it is important to know how much and why.
Two four by six wood beams of 8 to 10 feet each as straight as you can find them.
Sagging floors are often the symptoms of structural damage to the floor joists below the surface.
A dozen metal rafter ties.
Isolated to first floor isolated to second floor both floors.
You will have to make sure your joists can handle the addition of considerably more weight from the plywood subfloor and any floor coverings.
There are several problems that can cause a sagging or sloping floor which is one of the reasons why fixing a sloping floor is difficult.
On the top side of the floor another fix it idea to lay down new hardwood over the existing floor.
The average person can sense if a floor slopes 1 inch in 10 feet and sloping floors or sagging floors are often one of the warning signs that structural engineers look for when analyzing a house.
Termites can rot or damage the joists typically made of wood rendering the pieces unable to hold up the floor.
The first and second floors in our house seem overly bouncy and sag toward the middle.
