Why Are My Floors Uneven?

Uneven floors are very easy to recognize, whether you have a slight slant from one side of the room to the other or a sudden dip, damage like this is hard to miss. Sagging, uneven, or tilted floors can be caused by many different issues, but the most common are: 

• Damaged Floor Joists 

This is most common in upper floors and homes with crawl spaces. Cracked, damp, or otherwise damaged joists can start to sag over time, and as a result, your floor will sag too. This is most recognizable in floors that have sudden dips or feel bouncy or springy underfoot. Over time, a slight spring can lead to the floorboards in question becoming very unstable. 

If this is left to escalate the floors could well collapse, of course, but there are other issues that are likely to crop up before this happens. For example, if the middle of the floor is sagging as a result of poor support, the floors could start to pull away from the walls at the edges, leaving gaps, causing drafts, and undermining the stability of your home as a whole. 

• Foundation Damage 

Foundation damage and settlement are some of the most common, and severe, causes of uneven floors in a property. Severe settlement or sinking can cause a large portion of your home to be uneven and lead to many serious problems throughout the structure of your home. After all, your foundation affects every part of your home. 

If your uneven floors are being caused by sinking in your foundation, you are more likely to see a consistent tilt from one side of the room to the next. You’re also more likely to see spreading cracks in your walls or notice a gap between your walls and floors or ceiling if you have a sinking foundation. 

Foundation settlement can be slightly more deceptive as it may lead to small sections of your foundation sinking rather than being a uniform issue.