How To Fix Bouncy Floors
Even structurally sound code compliant new floors can deflect or flex more than feels comfortable.
How to fix bouncy floors. But if you have an unfinished basement or a basement with a drop ceiling you just might have enough access to stiffen up the floor from below. Let s take a look at some of the different options for stiffening up a floor from below for each of the possible floor. How can we evaluate whether the floors need reinforcement and if so what is the best way to do this.
The first and second floors in our house seem overly bouncy and sag toward the middle. Tom s house was built in 1765 but bouncy floors aren t just an old house problem. A springy or spongy feeling could indicate a minor issue a major problem or.
Contributing editor mike guertin teams up with structural engineer david grandpré to detail six common and not so common ways to stiffen up the joists and keep the china cabinet from wobbling. No one likes the feel of a supposedly solid floor bouncing or sagging underfoot. Working in the unfinished basement below the bouncy floor we had to remove the plumbing and electrical lines running through the joists and then rerun the lines.
How to fix springy and spongy floors. There are a variety of ways to stiffen a floor. In most cases repairing bouncy floors is no easy task.
To lift a sagging floor you must hire a. 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. The method or methods tom chooses depend as much on practicality as on effectiveness.
Years ago while working as a carpenter i helped stiffen a bouncy floor by nailing a new 2 10 to each of the 2 10 joists that supported the floor.