sloping floors?

[Judd]

IEdited

[brianb_cobbres]

Are these things that naturally occur as the building settles?

Yes but there could be other causes


Is it something you just ignore if not too major?

Yes, but if it bothered you it may bother a potential buyer


If we fix it, is it a big deal?

Not normally

[Jeffery (LCLA)]

....I saw one today with a low spot near a wall. You could tell something happened cause the linelouem tiles had a gap in between them near the wall. Like the floor sagged, and they pulled away from the other tiles. I could also see from the crawl space access door, that they had put some 2x4's under it. If it's a recent repair and it's sagging again, then it could be a foundation problem. If the soil is too soft to hold the weight of the building, you may need to dig down 24" and 12" and pour some concrete. Then set a concrete pier and shim the floor up.
Are these things that naturally occur as the building settles? Is it something you just ignore if not too major? It's almost always natural; soil compreses, shims compress, beams rot. This is something, however, that you want to repair as soon as it's noticed. Otherwise, walls crack, roof may sag, or you may not be able to sell it once you're finished with rehab.

If we fix it, is it a big deal? Usually not a big deal, but it really depends on why it's sagging. If it's due to rotten beams from a water leak, it can be troublesome and could be expensive. If it's becuase of the soil sinking and just won't hold the weight of the house, it can be a real pain in the rear end. Two ways to repair the soil is to either dig down (as described above) and fill it with concrete. I am assuming we can just jack up that spot and put some supports under it? In most cases, yes. A 20 ton jack and some shims work wonders. I would have a contractor doing all the work anyway. That's great, because it's really easier to know how to do it than it is doing it yourself. I recommend that you crawl down there with your contractor so you'll know exactly what's going on.

HTH

[Judd]

Edited

[Peach State Property Buyers]

Something to keep in mind if you end up jacking is that you will have to permit the job. The county can make you come in and do WAY more than you think. You might end up resupporting the entire house to new code regulations. Yes, I know this from personal experience.

[BrianG_Cereniti]

there are companies out there that do this. They handle everything from permits to labor and materials. not to mention - they carry insurance, in case anything should crack or more damage occurs... i would call a few first before going on your own to get permits, etc... just my two cents worth...