Why Are My Floors Sagging?

Photo by Ethan Richardson on Unsplash

What happens when the dog drops his ball on the floor in front of you? Does it roll to the center of the room? If so, it’s because the floor is sagging – and it could be more than just an “old house” problem.

Sagging is a sign of issues with the girders, beams, and joists in the crawl space below the floor, and there are three main causes:

1.    Excess moisture and humidity. If the crawl space is dirt, it’s likely full of humidity and sometimes standing water. Over time, all that moisture can cause the wooden floor structure to mold, rot, weaken, and sag.

2.    Support columns too far apart. This causes the beam to be overloaded and sag between the columns. The girder sags with it and so does the floor above.

3.    Existing columns have settled. Weak soil can cause the support columns in the crawl space to sink or settle, often creating a gap between the top of the column and the bottom of the girder it was supporting. When that happens, the girder and the floors above it also sag.

All these problems can be repaired – but beware of temporary fixes such as concrete block columns, shimming, and light-duty jack posts. A specialized contractor like Ayers can provide a permanent solution like our SmartJack system, which is engineered to support large loads and is suitable for large homes and load-bearing wall construction. In addition, SmartJacks are made of zinc-plated and hot-dip galvanized steel to prevent rust and eliminate weakening.

We also recommend our CleanSpace liner to isolate your crawl space from the earth and the moisture that comes with it. CleanSpace is incredibly durable, will last as long as the house, and will stay where you install it.

Stop chasing the dog’s toys across the floor! Call us for a free inspection and estimate to repair your sagging floors for good.