One of the biggest issues owners of older homes face is a sagging floor. Most of the sagging typically appears on the downhill side of the dwelling, because structural foundations provide support for floors near the exterior walls. Although it’s not always problematic, it doesn’t look good and walking on uneven floors can be annoying and painful, forcing home dwellers to always be on guard to keep their balance. Uneven flooring can lead to slips and falls, especially in young children or elderly people.
In some cases, sunken flooring Los Angeles can indicate that more extensive damage can be found in the house. There are different issues that can cause your sunken floors, such as too much room between the structural columns that hold up your house, which lead to floor joists and the horizontal support members sagging, which in turn leads floors to sink. If foundation settling or moisture and mold problems are making your hardwood flooring in Los Angeles sag, an LA contractor can determine the cause and fix your sagging floors.
Here is a breakdown of the steps to raise sunken flooring Los Angeles. Please note that fixing floors is not an easy job, and usually pretty expensive. However, not doing anything about your floor damage can lead to more undetected problems, and the worsening condition of your home’s floors, walls and roof.
Find the Cause of the Damage – Some homeowners simply choose to fix sagging floors without finding the actual cause of the damage. This is a huge mistake, as whatever is causing the floors to sag will simply damage the new floors as well. Hire a professional Los Angeles contractor to assess any water damage from outside or plumbing fixtures and to check for termites or other pests that can be responsible for the damage. Fix those issues before addressing the floors.
Fixing Floor Joists – Old House Online states that if the cause of sagging floors is due to settling, there are three remedies for strengthening them by utilizing materials for reinforcement. The first option involves installing plywood on both sides of the horizontal members, but the site points out that it must be done precisely to be effective. The second option is to install the same sizes of lumber on the sides of the joists. And the final choice is to install a strengthening piece of steel or plywood called a flitch plate.
Jacking – Sometimes, you don’t need to repair or replace the hardwood flooring in Los Angeles that has sunk, but simply provide jacks under the floors. Jacking involves installing mechanical devices that are adjustable to rotting or sagging support posts on different ends of the floor. You can use hydraulic jacks to push up the floors. You need to have a professional Los Angeles contractor do this procedure because if you lift too fast, you will cause even more damage. You need a few weeks to complete this process a little bit at a time. Remember, that you may encounter cracked plaster when getting this done. Once the floor is lifted, you can secure it with underground beams.
Old houses are prone to sagging floors. However, sunken floors Los Angeles can usually be fixed by professional contractors. Don’t let this problem go unnoticed as it can create bigger issues in your house.
Hugs Construction has over 20 years of experience and is a full service construction company in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding Los Angeles area. We work with real estate investors to upgrade or remodel houses, and specializes on projects of all sizes, such as installing solar panels, kitchen and bath remodeling, wiring and electric work, soundproofing, installing windows and doors, specialty projects and new constructions.
We pride ourselves on utilizing green products to sustain the environment. We strive to maintain high customer satisfaction with every job, making sure that our work lasts for many years to come.
To get a quote for fixing your sagging floors in Los Angeles, contact us.