My floor is uneven, what’s going on?

We often get questions about floor settling.

A minor amount of floor settlement is not uncommon, and is generally considered minor/cosmetic (¾” settlement in a foundation is not unusual).

When is floor settlement or unlevel floors a problem? Floor settlement becomes an issue when you can see it, it bothers you, and you want to get it fixed.

If your floor is uneven and does need to be fixed – first we need to determine the cause. Is the wood rotten and needs to be repaired? Has the foundation settled and needs to be repaired? Is the foundation inadequate or does it have undersized footings? 

In extreme cases, there are companies that can re-level the foundation for you. But in minor cases, it may be a matter of just shimming the posts in the crawlspace to re-level the floor. If your floor is bouncy – additional supports can be added to a crawl space relatively easily to fix the issue. 

One thing to note: if you do have to relevel your foundation/floor you’re likely to have interior doors that will not close or stick, which will have to be adjusted. Windows may have issues with opening and closing as well. Additionally, cracks in finishes are not uncommon. 

If your floor needs to be releveled, we are happy to refer you to qualified contractors that specialize in floor releveling issues.