Slanting or sloping floors are common in older houses, even where the situation involves a slope of only one or two inches. For rooms presenting with a general slope where there is no flat surface area, the problem may be foundational instead of some boards having warped. In this situation, it may be better to contact a general contractor or foundation repair company. The possible causes of this type of sloping can include the following:
The Foundation Has Subsided
As the floor itself is flat, the reason for sloping would be that the foundation has either subsided or sunk. This is an easily identifiable issue when looking at foundational issues and companies that specialize in foundation repair should be contacted. To repair this situation, the professional would need to ‘jack up’ the portion of the property that has subsided placing new footers underneath.
The Sill Has Rotted Out
If the foundation has not subsided, it is possible that the sill has deteriorated as a result of rot. Sill refers to the wooden part of the property that rests on the foundation footer. It may be more difficult to find companies specializing in this work, so it is recommended that you opt for a general contractor to help. If you do not want to use a contractor, then a general carpenter who knows how to use house jacks will be appropriate.
How To Deal With Dips And Sags
A different type of problem from sloping or slanting floors, but just as frustrating, is the floor that dips and sags. For example, the floor in a room may be level from end to end; however, between the room ends there are areas that dip and sag. The foundation is often not the issue in these situations and in most cases the cause is a problem with beams or joists below the floor. Below are solutions that can be used to deal with dips and sags in the floor.
Sistering
Sistering involves jacking up sagging joists until the joist is level with the floor, then mating the board with bolts or nails so that each of the boards supports the other one.
Bridging
Another solution to sagging floors is to lay down new flooring over the existing floor. The subfloor will bridge all waves in the existing area. You will, however, need to ensure that the joists are able to handle the additional weight from the plywood with any other floor coverings.
If you have noticed that your floors in your Parry Sound or Muskoka home are starting to slant or slope, you need to get that taken care of immediately before your situation gets worse. Schlager is here to help! Our main goal is to communicate with you about how you want us to work on your project. We love seeing customers happy when our job is done and everything goes according to the original plan!
Give us a call at +1-705-732-1802 to get your sloping or slanted flooring fixed!