Slopping upstairs floor

[sarah-marie]

Hi there.. Anyone had an upstairs slopping floor what did you find were the causes if not subsidence

[Effra]

Could be dry rot in the joists - if the slope is along the length of the joists. Check the floor boards and if they are at right angles to the slope then it may be a joists problem. That said, all joists will be supported by a load-bearing wall so if that wall has subsided then the joists supported by it will be sloping.

To eliminate subsidence, check the exterior of the property and see if there are cracks in the brickwork - particularly around doors and windows

[sarah-marie]

Thanks very much.. Trees caused slight subsidence and cut down but apparently the floor was slopping beforehand and owner thinks just built that way but Im concerned of dry rot and if caused by termites.

[Renata Hamvas]

I don't think termites are found in the UK? You can get woodworm though. If there is a history of subsidence of the property it could affect your buildings insurance.

[KidKruger]

Houses aren?t built with sloping floors, it?s just a general expected feature that we have level floors (or as near as).

If you have decided not to live with the sloping floor and want to correct it then fix it.

Empty room, remove carpet/underlay, carefully remove floorboards and have a look.

Use a level, laser level, hosepipe-level (transparent) to identify true and mark on wall every couple of feet.

Now either cut wooden lengths to nail onto joists to bring them to same level, or follow other approach you have decided on.

sarah-marie Wrote:

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> Thanks very much.. Trees caused slight subsidence

> and cut down but apparently the floor was slopping

> beforehand and owner thinks just built that way

> but Im concerned of dry rot and if caused by

> termites.

[Sue]

My house has a sloping floor in the top right room and apparently it's bomb damage.

Quite a few bombs fell round here in WW2.

ETA: I've been here 30 years and it was like it when I moved in (I had a full structural survey done at the time).

Are you thinking of buying the house? If so, you definitely should rule out any potentially expensive causes of the slope before burning your bridges (or knock down the price ...)

[sarah-marie]

Thanks sue, yes I am and was concerned caused by subsidence but apparently not or so the insurance structural engineer has said.. Already concerned about heave happening as cut trees down in one go and put plug in which kills them pretty instantly.i did put offer in taking into consideration these things but rejected so put another in but I won't go any higher or it will only end up few thousand off which doesn't feel right under the circumstances as I may have trouble selling it on and difficulty for people trying to get mortgages. How did you find out its bomb damage.. That's a good reason as you know its not rotting away!!

[sarah-marie]

Thanks kidkruger

[Sue]

sarah-marie Wrote:

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> Thanks sue,

How did you find out its

> bomb damage.. That's a good reason as you know its

> not rotting away!!

After thirty years I can't remember, but I imagine either it's in the survey or the surveyor told me.

I have the survey somewhere.

Was your structural surveyor not able to explain the sloping floor? Isn't that sort of thing what you pay them for?!

[sarah-marie]

They said it would be termites or linked to the subsidence.. I don't know if can tell as cannot pull up the flooring.. A previous survey was done by a couple that pulled out and apparently nothing was flagged up about it on that..

[Sue]

sarah-marie Wrote:

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> They said it would be termites or linked to the

> subsidence.. I don't know if can tell as cannot

> pull up the flooring.. A previous survey was done

> by a couple that pulled out and apparently nothing

> was flagged up about it on that..

I don't think there are termites in East Dulwich!

Might you be able to get hold of the previous survey? I don't know if it was the owner who told you nothing was flagged up, but if so, they would, wouldn't they?

Do you know why the couple pulled out after having had a survey done?

I once pulled out of buying a house I was very keen on because of the survey.

[sarah-marie]

When I say termites just including any insects or pests in that like wormwood that eats the wood

Was the agent and yes I know they just say anything like the owner said its built like that.. And won't be problem selling it on.. I've been speaking to five surveyors and arborists in regards to how trees should have been cut down. Apparently the couple were furloughed but I'm surprised they had a survey as the agent told me they couldn't get a mortgage until all work was done so I wouldnt have thought they would have got a survey.

[diable rouge]

Sue Wrote:

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> I once pulled out of buying a house I was very

> keen on because of the survey.

I'm guessing sarah-marie has plenty of experience of this judging by the number of past threads with similar 'concerns'...:)

[sarah-marie]

Yes that's right I have been looking for a long time now and I like Victorian conversions that of course have more problems .. I remember you commented before and said on my last post you were getting a feeling of deja vu.. And now again making a point of this. Not sure why you feel need to do that doesn't seem its coming from a helpful place more making a dig.

[diable rouge]

[redpost]

When we did our victorian house up the longer joists had bowed in the middle over time... a good 20-40mm dip in the middle, quite natural and we had to use special self levelling compound before putting down solid flooring.

If someone has divided the room up, then voila 2 sloping floors

[sarah-marie]

Thanks redpost

Its in kitchen at back of house and bathroom.. And slopes from one side of the terrace house across to the other side of terrace house.. No room division or in flat downstairs so bit strange..

[Effra]

If the kitchen/bathroom is a later extension, it might suggest the footings have subsided.

[sarah-marie]

Thanks effra yes I think it is a later extension and the part where there are cracks on inside and outside from the trees apparently

[fishbiscuits]

I think so many of these old houses have sloping floors, particularly nearer the back. Maybe it's just natural movement of the property over time (they don't really have "foundations" to speak of), and maybe some bowing of the wood.

First thing would be to lift the floorboards and check for any rot/infestation problem. If the joists are in good condition, then I think it's perfectly OK to level them up with extra bits of wood before laying the floorboards again. It's not a permanent cure, but should be good for many years.

(If you need to cut floorboards, obviously be careful that you make the cut over the joist, not over a void!)

If you've had rot or woodworm, repairing or replacing joists can be a big job.. it's usually time to get the builders in, not really DIY/handyman territory.

[sarah-marie]

Thanks fishbiscuits that's really helpful. I don't mind the floor sloping so much but concerned of trying to sell it on. I think will ask the owner if knows of infestation under the vinyl flooring as I think it's only been down few years so she should know. And hope honest answer

[Jellybeanz]

Our house also has a sloping floor in the front room. We have minor cracks I believe due to slight subsidence/tree outside the front but nothing major. If you are buying it then basically I would say someone else would buy it in due course. We got over it - my last company (I worked for a solicitor based in a house in East Dulwich) had badly sloping floors and tried to screed to rectify. It didn't work, cracked under the flooring and was worse than the original slope so I would just say live with it essentially.

Good luck whatever you decide!

[fishbiscuits]

Yes, screed on wooden floorboards is definitely a bad idea!

[sarah-marie]

Thanks jellybeanz I've realised whole house slopes to the right all rooms and floors boards very bumpy underneath not springy more maybe buckled