In many homes, specifically older constructed homes – you may notice your floors are sagging. Or, there may be other seemingly cosmetic issues around your home such as crooked windows and sticking doors. These can be signs of sagging floor joists. Sagging floors can indicate there’s damaged wood under your flooring, that one of your supports is deteriorating, or that there are problems with your home’s foundation.
What are Floor Joists?
Floor joists are used to support a floor that spans over an open area, like over a basement, crawl space or lower floor level or between shed floor beams. Floor joists provide additional support to the flooring above it. They’re generally placed under the subfloor to allow access for wires and plumbing pipes.
Signs of a Sagging Floor Joist:
As mentioned above, there are many signs that can lead to knowing you have sagging floor joists. Some of the common indicators that you have sagging floor joists include:
- Cracked Walls:
If you notice cracks forming in your walls, this could be a sign of sagging floor joists. You will want to look out for cracks or fissures in the corners and joints.
2. Sticking Windows & Doors:
All of your windows and doors should fit perfectly inside your house. But, if you have sagging floor joists, they could become loose or stick making it difficult to open and close.
3. Sloping Floors:
Some homes have floors that are very uneven. If the floors in a home are not even, there is a good chance the floor joists are not supporting as they should.
4. Bouncy Floors:
Bouncy floors cause furniture and other items to shake and vibrate due to inadequate support. If the floors do not feel firm, that’s a sign the floor joists need more support.
What Causes Sagging Floor Joists?
When Floor Joists begin to rot from extended exposure to humid air and moist dirt, this can cause the joists to weaken and shift. This causes a breakdown in the support that you can expect the floor joists to provide to your subfloor. If you suspect there is damage to your floor joists, you will want to consult with BDB Waterproofing on your options to fix the damage.
Why You Should Fix Sagging Floor Joists:
Sagging Floor Joists are often just the first sign of further damage. If gone unchecked, the moisture can continue to spread and if the reasons for the issues with your floor joists are a wet crawl space, then you can expect more troubles to come. When a crawl space isn’t sealed off properly and protected from moisture, it can damage the floor joists, rot the wood, attract insects and pests, and grow mold and bacteria.
BDB Waterproofing uses a proven crawl space encapsulation system to create a fully waterproof area beneath your house. We install durable vapor barriers on walls and liners on floors. We also install crawl space pumps when needed. These products will help to seal off the crawl space to keep out moisture, humidity and unwanted critters.
Questions about Your Foundation?
When it comes to maintaining the integrity of your home’s foundation, there’s no one you can trust quite like BDB Waterproofing. Contact us at 402-779-3165 or use the contact form on our website.
