Sagging, Unlevel and Sloping Floors
Sagging, unlevel, sloping, “bouncy” or soft feeling floors is a common problem in homes with crawl spaces. These unlevel areas can also have cause other issues, such as cracked floor tiles, gaps in between the floors and walls or walls and ceilings as well as sticking windows and doors.
What causes sagging and sloppy floors?
Likely, there are four reasons:
Improperly spaced support columns in the crawl space. The brick or block columns in the crawl space were placed to support the weight of your home and over time the beams which become overloaded which causes the floors to sag.
The support columns have sunk or settled into the ground. This settling can result in gaps between the columns and the beams it supports. Sloping and sagging occur when beams are not adequately supported.
The floor structures have weakened due to moisture and rot. The humidity and moisture in unsealed crawl spaces result in mouldy, rotting and weakened floor structures which no longer support the weight of the home and over time, floors become soft, bouncy and unlevel.
The foundation is failing. Foundation walls may commonly become damaged by settling due to poor supporting soils, which result in movement within the floor structure of the home.
Unfortunately, the problems associated with unlevel floors will never go away on its own, and regardless of the cause, it will only get worse. Not only do sagging and sloping floors affect your enjoyment of your home, and also hinders home renovations and negatively impacts resale value.
What can be done?
It is essential to seek the advice of a full time, reputable and dedicated crawl space contractor to determine the exact cause of the sloping floors.
In many situations, the solution is:
Seal the crawl space to prevent future damage from moisture and humidity.
Install industry-leading jacks to support floor structures correctly.
Repair, clean or replace beams, joists or other rotted floor structures.
At Advanced Basement Systems, we are proud to have helped thousands of homeowners in southwestern Ontario with a permanent solution to all crawl space and sloping floor problems. Please reach out to us for a free, written inspection and estimate: 1-800-638-7048
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