Sagging Floor
I just looked at a 3 family house. The first floor is angled a little. The angling is only in the center of the house, meaning by the windows the floor is a little higher, and in the center of the floor, the floor is a little lower. If I put a ball by the window and let it go , it will roll toward the center of the house. I looked at all the beams and floor supports in the basement, and everything looks good, so I can't figure out why there is a little angling in the floor. This house was built in 1910. Any ideas?
You have two choices........leave it alone, realzing you will never be able to hold the marble chapionship at your house.......or
Jack up the floor and put metal shim under the peir / beams.
For a house that is almost 100 years old...it sounds like it is structurally still sound.
Nc
Yes, yes, I have the same problem myself and that house is only about 20 years older then me. .
If curious you can always remove the flooring and see just what has declined. It is probably a post. The solution offered is most correct. Metal shims are nice cause they sure as hell are not going to retreat.
Interesting that the level declined in the middle, might be evidence that way back when they put the house together they did not install a post or series of post out in the middle floor. Out here in LaLa land the usual culprit for such deflection is the floor joists themselves. Sometimes carried away with the zest of building they neglect to install the joist with the crown upwards. In town a certain amount of sagging develops. I have corrected this by installing a small concrete footing and a cripple mounted on it. It supportst the floor joists and you can shim to level.
Of course if you are sportingly inclined, you can leave it as is and allow the young at heart to practice marbles.
Cheers Lucius 8-) 8-) 8-)
i had the same problem in a home that was over 100 yrs. old. the only solution was to jack the floor. the floor joist were hand hewed. they shagged from lack of proper support. it was alot of work but it turned out great.......kenmax
You received good advice. We could probably all be a bit more specific if you could post the following....
1) dimensions of the floor joists.
2) Length of run
3) any supports (in addition to the mudsill tie in)?
4) Dipping in the middle of the room or is there a wall near said dip?