There are a variety of ways to stiffen a floor.
Fixing bouncing floors.
It was a complex expensive job.
No one likes the feel of a supposedly solid floor bouncing or sagging underfoot.
Fixing bouncy and sagging floors.
How to fix springy and spongy floors.
How can we evaluate whether the floors need reinforcement and if so what is the best way to do this.
Tom s house was built in 1765 but bouncy floors aren t just an old house problem.
Bouncy floors are one of the most vexing problems faced in houses both new and old.
Let s take a look at some of the different options for stiffening up a floor from below for each of the possible floor.
The first and second floors in our house seem overly bouncy and sag toward the middle.
In most cases repairing bouncy floors is no easy task.
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.
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.
A springy or spongy feeling could indicate a minor issue a major problem or.
The method or methods tom chooses depend as much on practicality as on effectiveness.
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.
For example sistering with new lumber the fix tom s dad used makes sense only if the joist bays are not cluttered with electrical cable plumbing lines and ducts.
Fixing bouncy and sagging 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.
For a bouncy ground floor you need to get under the house or look at the floor from the basement.
Even structurally sound code compliant new floors can deflect or flex more than feels comfortable.