What Causes Bouncy Floors

Spongy and bouncy floors generally are of little concern unless the cause relates to a serious structural issue.

What causes bouncy floors.

It s a span of 10 feet. Stiffening bouncy floor with plywood. A springy or spongy feeling could indicate a minor issue a major problem or. 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.

There are a variety of ways to stiffen a floor. The basement is finished and i don t want to tear out the dry walled ceiling. I have a kitchen floor that bounces whenever we walk on it. In some cases it s purely an economical issue.

Bouncy floors are one of the most vexing problems faced in houses both new and old. Tom s house was built in 1765 but bouncy floors aren t just an old house problem. Any bounce you can cause here should be small similar to what you felt along the exterior wall. In almost all cases the floor can be fixed so that it is solid and does not bounce.

Contributing editor mike guertin teams up with structural engineer david grandpré to detail six common and not so common ways to stiffen up the joists and keep the china cabinet from wobbling. 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. 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. 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. Would screwing another sheet of plywood stiffen it up. Finally stand near the beam. The method or methods tom chooses depend as much on practicality as on effectiveness.

How to fix springy and spongy floors. The floor may be structurally sound and built within code limits. No one likes the feel of a supposedly solid floor bouncing or sagging underfoot. The cause of bounce is traced to the normal flex that is part of wood floor joists.

Even structurally sound code compliant new floors can deflect or flex more than feels comfortable. Before we can start repairing bouncy floors in a home it s important to understand what causes them. To lift a sagging floor you must hire a. Even solid steel i beams can have flex.