Ever felt like the floor you are walking on is not solid or even? Ever had that feeling that your footsteps goes thumpety thump, thumpety thump when you are walking? It must be that your floor joists are sagging. Say what? Since these floor joists are placed during the very early stages of a building or home construction, some people may have never even seen their floor joists. But though you may have never seen what is underneath your floor, these floor joists play a major part in supporting the structure and in the security of your floor and the whole building.
You may ask yourself, if I have not seen it, then how is it possible for me to repair sagging floor joists in my house?
While it is quite difficult and may require advanced skill from the worker, it still is an achievable task. You must understand where the problem is coming from. Sagging floor joists may result from age. Over time and pressure, wood will flex and bow causing it to sag. Even floor joists which were installed properly in the beginning, will give in at some point. This is especially true for older buildings or homes, making it necessary to repair sagging floor joists.
To enable you and your family to feel secure that you are walking on solid ground, the following are helpful guide in repairing sagging floor joists. If your house has a basement, the ideal way to fix sagging floor joists is by use of a brace. You need to install a beam vertical to the joists in the mid section. The beam has to be the same size as your joists. This can be done by use of boards.
The boards to be used to create your beam need to be able to cross from wall to wall across your floor joists. Cut the boards and attach together with the use of adhesive and nails. The next step is to put the brace in place. Wedge a board in a slight angle in between the basement floor and your beam. Using a hammer, straighten the base of the wedge to push up the beam to take the sag out of the joists. Once done with the procedure, check whether the floor is already level enough, if not continue with the same step. It is best to install posts every after few feet to serve as support. This will help in postponing future sagging of the floor joists. Although, it is recommended to get a contractor for professional help for this kind of job, it can still be done properly by yourself if you just carefully follow the steps mentioned in above. After all, to whom is it better to entrust the safety of yourself and your family than your own hands?
0 comments