Floor Joist Sinking

Weakened floor joists and girders because crawl spaces are often unsealed from the earth wood exposed to moisture and humidity begins to rot get moldy and weaken.

Floor joist sinking.

Because the joists rest on the sill plate water damage often spreads from sill plate to joist. Also look for floor joists that have been cut improperly to install pipes wiring or hvac ducts. If the floor itself is flat the foundation footer may have subsided or sunk. Schedule a free inspection if you re starting to see your floors sagging you probably know it s important to fix them.

In either case you will need to demolish. If you ve had a chronically damp basement or crawlspace look for indications of insect damage to structural members. A sinking floor is usually a sign that the floor has begun to rot out from the underside meaning the joists or other elements of the subfloor have failed. These problems can result from open crawl space vents or doors excessive moisture and humidity and wet rotting wood.

Powderpost beetles leave joists and beams riddled with small holes carpenter ants are usually apparent at the first sign of warm weather in the spring and termites usually leave telltale mud tunnels on foundations and. Sagging floors and other problems are a clear sign of failing floor supports. Another common issue especially in older homes is notched joists. When your supports fail your home will become more unstable and unsafe.

With foundation problems this is an identifiable problem and there are companies that specialize in foundation repair. When the floor drops dips or slopes it often means you have failing joists.