2nd story hard wood floor sags/1st floor ceiling okay/do I check by going thru ceiling or upper floor?
Answers:
How old is this home....
*you can edit your question-
sags..?....how much of a belly/basin/drop are you seeing there....I'm guessing you are looking at a gentle "belly" to the middle.....uh-huh-age, settling, materials all play to this end-result....how important is this to you....yes, you can pull the current flooring surface up and re-string level supports...as long as those load bearers are secure...just carefull who ya let pull it off-
-----------7/12/06-----------
yes, 70-80 years later things do start sagging...:this still sounds like some extra supports are needed there, but back-engineering to get 'there' may get kinda spendy....
Other answers:
I would check it on the second floor. It sounds like and issue with the subfloor.
I would check it on the second floor. It sounds like and issue with the subfloor.
I would not tear up the floor ulles u dont want 2 put hard wood floor back down cuz it very expensive and you cant use the same boards!
There may be a way to go through the wall to assess the damage before you start tearing out floor boards. We had this problem in the 2nd story ceiling and a professional found a leak in the ceiling with only about a six inch hole. He checked for termite or rodent damage through the roof and attic and he repaired everything with only the one hole visible (he later repaired that as well).
When the problem began again within six months there was no charge for the repairs
Go thru upper floor. remove a few pieces and check thebraces . They are probably broken or worn or slipped out of place. take up flooring and repair braces andlevel with straight edge from support to support. Start in the center and work your way out.
it sounds like the span is too wide for the joice to support the floor.