My house is about 60 yrs old. We have carpet in some rooms and there are several places where we step and our foot sinks as if the board is loose or gone. How can we fix this?

Do you have access to the floor from beneath?

If so, you can examine what happens when someone walks on the floor above by observing from below.

You might be able to make repairs from below if accessible.

Depending on what is loose or missing, the repairs may involve pulling up the carpet and making repairs from above.

Without knowing what type flooring and subflooring you have, I can't be more specific.

Thanks a lot.
Yes we have access from below. It is built up off the ground and dirt crawl space.
i am pretty sure the subflooring is wood as well as under the carpet.
Can you be more specific as to HOW we repair the loose boards?
Thanks again.

Not without you being more specific once you find the actual problem.

It would be wise to first determine if a structural issue is present causing the area of the floor to ( sink, as you describe) depress when walking across the floor.

This would include, however not limit to the inspection of the floor joist, the sill plate (located at the exterior fouldation walls) and any other supporting beams, walls etc.

If it appears to you that structural issues are present and you do not feel you are qualified to identify them perhaps a structural engineer in your area would provide the necessary inspection and comment at little or no cost to you.

One of the items that you would be able to identify would include damage to the sill plate or floor joist that may have been caused by moisture over the past 60 years (dry rot) Other items would include split or broken floor joist.

If you have eliminated the above items and find that those conditions do not exist you more than likely do not have a structural issue.

With the age of your home at 60 years old typically your sub floor material would be 1x6 to 1x12 placed diagionally over the floor joist system. In most areas throughout the US the use of plywood sub flooring materials were not used at that time.
(FYI- the first occurrence of plywood was in ancient Egypt around 3500 BC. The first softwood plywood was used in the US in 1905 used by a small box manufacture in Portland.)

Further inspections performed by you would include checking the sub-floor boards at all intersecting floor joist locations. You may be able to identify loose boards at those locations. (it may not be a plesent task crawling around in the crawl space, however is necessary)

If you identify loose boards and do not want to remove carpets or other finish floor materials to correct the problem you may want to consider the following corrective actions.

1. Purchase a sub floor adheasive at your local building supply. There are several on the market that would include items such as "Liquid Nails" etc.
2. Install 2x4 or 2x material matching the size of floor joist to the existing floor joist to support the loose boards above with the application of plenty of the adheasive that you have purchased. Apply at the side of the joist and on the top of the supporting material. Fasteners would include either 16 penny nails or 3 inch screws.
3. If a structural issue is not present the length of the supporting 2x material used should perhaps span about one or two feet past each side of the sub-floor board that you are supporting above.

This method should satisfy your problem without the removal of all of your furniture,carpets etc.

Keep in mind that you must first determine that no structural issues exist.

Good Luck on your project.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lee,

Lee, thanks for the practical information.
We will get to work on all the good advice you and others have given.