Floor Sagging Upstairs

Sagging floor issues often relates to framing issues or the loads that the floors are carrying.

Floor sagging upstairs.

In layman s terms this means typical 2 by 10 floor joists spanning 16 feet can be expected to sag about one eighth to one quarter of an inch. Common reasons for sloping or sagging second story floors. 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. Here s a quick review of the most common problems and a few of the typical remedies.

Sagging can be the result of undersized joists an undersized support beam or support posts that have rotted at the bottom or settled into the ground. 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. 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. It s actually a very simple process.

Remove the old. Although generally only an annoyance sagging floors can be an indication of worsening problems. Sloping floors may be due to framing issues but it is not uncommon for them to be caused by foundation and soil issues. Bounciness is usually caused by undersized floor joists.

These terms are related and a sagging floor actually has a slope from each side of the sag. If you have access to the basement or crawlspace it is possible to jack up saggy joists until they are level and then sister them so that they remain straight after the jacks are removed. No one likes the feel of a supposedly solid floor bouncing or sagging underfoot. However as the span increases so does.

Fixing a floor that sags and dips pour self leveling underlayment in the problem area. A springy or spongy feeling could indicate a minor issue a major problem or no problem at all. 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. Replace your old uneven floor cheap and easy.

The cause of these may be the same or may be different.