What Causes Bouncy Floors

The area in particular is in the center of the room between the fridge and the dishwasher.

What causes bouncy floors.

A springy or spongy feeling could indicate a minor issue a major problem or. Would screwing another sheet of plywood stiffen it up. I have a kitchen floor that bounces whenever we walk on it. Stiffening bouncy floor with plywood.

No one likes the feel of a supposedly solid floor bouncing or sagging underfoot. To lift a sagging floor you must hire a. Whomever designed the floor framing system when the addition or home was built may have stretched the spans and spacing of the support to it s limits to save money. The floor may be structurally sound and built within code limits.

In almost all cases the floor can be fixed so that it is solid and does not bounce. Before we can start repairing bouncy floors in a home it s important to understand what causes them. The method or methods tom chooses depend as much on practicality as on effectiveness. In some cases it s purely an economical issue.

Floors that bounce up and down when you walk across them are annoying. As homeowners we quickly get used to a floor that has a little bouncy or spring to it as we walk across it and seldom give any thought to whether there is a problem. It s a span of 10 feet. Bouncy floors can be a sign of structural problems but most bouncy floors can be stiffened to the point that the bounce is no longer a problem.

There are a variety of ways to stiffen a floor. Even structurally sound code compliant new floors can deflect or flex more than feels comfortable. The tiptoe drop should cause the biggest bounce here. It s all very complex with wood because the amount of flex varies depending upon the species of wood and the grade of the actual pieces of lumber.

Finally stand near the beam. Spongy and bouncy floors generally are of little concern unless the cause relates to a serious structural issue. If the result is more like what you felt in the middle of the floor the beam below is either undersized or not supported sufficiently by posts. The cause of bounce is traced to the normal flex that is part of wood floor joists.

Tom s house was built in 1765 but bouncy floors aren t just an old house problem. How to fix springy and spongy floors. The basement is finished and i don t want to tear out the dry walled ceiling. Even solid steel i beams can have flex.