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A 120-year-old crawl space in a humid climate is trouble waiting to happen, and it probably has. My guess is the crawl space is not properly evntilated, and I'd further guess that there may be some rotted structure down there. I'll leave the potential curative methods to someone who has seen the actual conditions,
Architect (NY) and Home Designer (PA)
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| Posts: 2500 | Location: Tobyhanna, PA | Registered: 24 October 2005 |  |
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Richard is most likely correct but forgot to add, that the conditions are prime for termites. I would contact the local building assocations here is the link http://www.nahb.org/page.aspx/category/sectionID=112I would also contact a pest control have them do a wood destroying termite report. Without good ventilation and destruction of termites your fix will be temporary at best. Also be prepared for when they may find more damage than what is presently showing. |
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I had a 100 year old house with sagging floors. The floor joists were rotted, cracked, or had termite damage. The best way we had fixed it was to crawl under the house and resupport the structure. We had a contractor do this that was familiar with old houses. It was not easy but extremely important to get it done. If that joist snapps it could lead to serious problems. One thing though, once you open that area up, be prepared for other issues. Chances are, more than one joist is bad. We have another old house that did not have this problem because the joists had been presoaked in creosole (not sure of spelling). This kept the bugs out and minimized the rot. Get used to it. This is a common old house problem.
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quote: Originally posted by dcrowhouse:
Hi - I have a 120 year old townhouse in DC. I am looking for a reliable person to take a look ata few floor problems:
1. A section of the dining room floor has been sagging (and worsening). I am told the likely reason is a defective joist (as well as a cracked board) - but am having difficulties finding someone to repair it / replace the joist (some mention supporting the floor from under the virtually inaccessible crawlspace; some refer to taking out the entire interlocking floor from the wall to the sag; some talk about ripping out the board and replacing it).
2. A portion of the kitchen floor (tile stuck onto a wooden floor) is sinking - opening up a gap with the floor. I dont know if that is a soil issue or another joist issue.
Any suggestions on someone good and reliable in the DC area? I want someone who knows their stuff - can opine on any possible underlying structural issues - plus assess whether there is a termite issue (there werent any at inspection 2 years back).
Many thanks
Dear DCROWHOUSE, My company, Traditional Builders, Inc., located in Maryland, specializes in the restoration of historic homes. We have done quite a bit of work in DC and surrounding areas. I would be happy to take a look at your sagging floors and provide you with an estimate. Please respond via email to: traditionalbuilders@comcast.net Sincerely, John Waters Traditional Builders, Inc. |
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