If your floor feels uneven when walking, it could be due to problems such as an unevenly settling foundation or failing floor joists. The good news is that these problems are fixable and even preventable!
This expert guide explores the top reasons why the floor feels uneven when walking, what to do as soon as you notice this issue, the best repair solutions, and more.
Why Does My Floor Feel Uneven When I Walk On It?
If walking through your home causes you to feel unsteady or dizzy, or if your step feels bouncy, you may be dealing with uneven floors.
The two main culprits of uneven floors are differential settlement and subfloor issues.
Common Cause 1: Differential Settlement
Over time, it’s common for a home’s foundation to gradually settle into the soil.
However, if one part of the foundation settles faster than the rest, this phenomenon, known as differential settlement, may lead to structural complications like sloping floors.
If your floor feels uneven when walking, it may be because of this! But what causes it in the first place?
Differential settlement may happen because of the following reasons.
• Problematic soil: Soil rich in clay may expand and contract in response to moisture fluctuations during drought and rainfall, possibly destabilizing the foundation.
Additionally, erosion-prone soils may undermine the foundation by creating voids that lead to uneven settlement.
• Tree roots: Tree roots can dehydrate the earth underneath a foundation, causing differential settlement.
Moreover, as the tree roots expand close to the house’s foundation, they can crack the structure and exert uneven pressure on the soil. As a result, you may notice inconsistent settlement patterns.
• Nearby construction: Disturbances from nearby construction can disrupt the equilibrium of the soil underneath the foundation, leading to differential settlement.
• Seismic activity: Earthquakes can dramatically alter the dynamics of the soil, possibly causing differential settlement by shifting the earth under the foundation.
How To Tell If Differential Settlement Is Causing Uneven Floors?
There are four tell-tale signs that differential settlement is causing your floors to be uneven.
If the foundation of your home is settling unevenly, you will notice sloping floors, as well as the following issues.
Note: If you detect any of the issues below, don’t hesitate to call an expert.
• Cracks: If you see cracks in ceilings, walls, or where drywall seams meet, you have foundation trouble. Often, cracks will manifest around corners, windows, and doors, as well as on the exterior of the house.
• Noticeable foundation damage: Act fast and call an expert if you notice cracks in the walls of the foundation, bowing or bulging, or water leaking through.
• Sticking windows or doors: If windows and doors are becoming difficult to open and close, it could indicate that uneven foundation settling is warping the home’s frame.
• Gaps around the deck and other exterior features: Are there new gaps around the deck, stairs, porch, or chimney? If so, the foundation may be shifting unevenly, causing these structures to pull away from the rest of the house.
• A musty odor: If you notice an unpleasant smell, you might have excessive mold growth in the crawl space and a serious moisture problem.
• An uneven floor: If the floor feels uneven when walking, it’s likely due to differential settlement. Address this issue as soon as possible—consult an expert!
Common Cause 2: Subfloor Issues
Homes built with crawl space foundations depend on a subfloor system, including supports, joists, and beams to stabilize the flooring.
When the subfloor is compromised, you might notice that the floor feels uneven when walking, or “sagging”. Various factors can cause the damage.
• Moisture problems: Water damage from any source can cause the subfloor to decay or deform, weakening its structural support.
• Installation errors: Mistakes during installation or materials that don’t hold up to moisture can cause premature deterioration of the subfloor.
• Pests: Insects such as wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants, and termites eat away at the wood and can compromise the subfloor structures.
• Aging: Over the years, the stress of daily use, heavy foot traffic, and natural environmental exposure may gradually degrade the subfloor.
If you’re puzzled by why the floor feels uneven when walking, it could be due to subfloor issues. It’s best to seek help from a professional!
What’s The Difference Between A Sloping And Sagging Floor?
Identifying whether your floors are sagging or sloping is more than just a technicality; it’s key to diagnosing the root of the problem!
Sloping floors, characterized by a consistent downward angle, usually occur across multiple connected rooms.
On the other hand, floors that sag will show dips and feel spongy underfoot, and these can appear anywhere on the ground level.
Usually, sloping happens due to localized issues within the subfloor, while sagging stems from broader subfloor problems.
How To Spot A Sloping Floor
If the floor feels uneven when walking, it could be because of sloping. But is there a surefire way to confirm this problem? Good news: there are numerous ways to identify sloping floors!
The easiest way is to get a small ball and place it on the area you suspect is sloping.
If the ball rolls away on its own, it confirms the floor’s slope.
Another sign of a sloping floor is if the gap between your wall or baseboards and the floor is increasing—the bigger the gap, the steeper the slope and the greater the urgency for repair!
How Can I Fix Uneven Floors?
Before considering expensive repairs, pinpoint why the floor feels uneven when walking.
Instead of rushing into temporary solutions like applying self-leveling concrete, talk to a foundation repair specialist.
An expert will evaluate the problem, identify the root cause of uneven floors, and suggest the most enduring repair strategy.
Typically, there are three repair methods.
• Adjusting the crawl space: Substitute or repair damaged floor supports and possibly use adjustable jacks in low areas to even out the floor.
• Reinforcing basement walls: Strengthen cracked or bowed basement walls with carbon fiber straps or wall anchors to prevent them from possibly affecting floor levels.
• Stabilizing the foundation: If the floor feels uneven when walking due to differential settlement, a common method to address the issue is underpinning.
Underpinning is a special technique that helps stabilize the foundation by extending it deeper into the ground using push, helical, or slab piers until it reaches stable soil.
After successfully installing the piers, the foundation is carefully lifted to its optimal level to alleviate any unevenness without risking further harm to the structure.
Effective Strategies To Prevent Uneven Floors
What’s the best way to keep your floors level and the foundation solid? Prevention.
Fortunately, here are five effective strategies to help prevent foundation complications.
• Modify the landscape slope: Adjust yard grading to ensure that groundwater flows away from the foundation, not toward it. If there’s a lot of water near the foundation, it can saturate the soil and lead to differential settlement and damage such as bowed or cracked walls.
• Extend downspouts: Consider extending downspouts to channel rainwater further away from the foundation, helping to prevent water accumulation
• Maintain gutters: Clean the gutters regularly to keep them debris-free. This step will prevent overflows that saturate the soil around the house.
Furthermore, regular upkeep will ensure that water flows smoothly away from the property, minimizing the risk of foundation damage.
• Plant trees smarter: Be mindful about the types of trees you plant around your home.
Choose species with less invasive root systems (like the Japanese Maple, American Hornbeam, and Crepe Myrtle) or plant them further away from the house. This way, the roots won’t threaten the foundation.
• Add a drain tile system: If you live in an area with frequent heavy rains, a drain tile system is crucial. This system protects against moisture-related issues like groundwater flowing towards the foundation.
If your floor feels uneven when walking, it’s time to do something about it. Contact a specialist and schedule a professional foundation evaluation for guaranteed results!
