Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My 1954 cottage isn't level. I suspect it has long been that way because I have no obvious cracks in the foundation. My Living room is about 25 feet wide and I guesstimate there is at least a 2" drop if not 3". My TV cabinet is propped up on one side by a half inch chunk of wood, and the slope gets visibly worse from there.
My flooring is the original pine. I just hate it...it is knotty and the knots look like cockroaches to me (this is NC) There are gaps in the floorboards that I can see light through if i leave the light in the crawl space on at night. I have problems with roaches and mice and I feel like a layer of hardwood on the whole first floor of my house will make it tighter, warmer, more rodent proof, nicer looking.
But is it a bad idea to put hardwood down on a floor that is so crooked? What I see about 'leveling' compound' just doesn't seem sufficient to raise up the end of my house.
I assume my other option would be to jack up the house. Won't that cause cracks? And be expensive?
Of course I can hire some experts to come out and give me an estimate, but I'm wondering WWYD?
The cottage itself isn't worth much. In my neighborhood it is likely to be a tear-down so I don't want to invest much. But I do want to live here in comfort for a few more years.
Well, you need to get it more level than it is. Basically your foundation guys will go around underneath with bottle jacks and shims. I can't say any more than that without seeing it. They may have to address the perimeter foundation as well.
When you level a house the drywall is likely to crack here and there. No biggie. If you have tile on the bathroom walls you will probably get some cracks there too.
You could probably use the existing pine floors as a subfloor for oak flooring. I am not sure whether putting a floor down on a non level surface and then leveling it later would cause any problems, but suspect not.
You do not put any kind of "leveling compound" down before installing a wood floor. They have to nail through the new flooring's tongues into the subfloor below.
Cockroaches can get through a gap the thickness of two business cards. Mice can get through a hole the size of a dime. Both kinds of pests also are happy to live in walls or attics. You cannot seal up your house tight enough to avoid having them come in if they want to. They are coming for a source of food or water. Flooring will have minimal to no effect on roaches or mice.
If I were you, before doing anything I would get some quotes on the foundation and on the flooring; also consult with the flooring installers about whether an out-of-level condition is going to be problematic for the flooring installation. By the time you got done with the work, you may well have spent an unrecoverable amount. So my recommendation is first: figure out how much $$$, then second decide whether to do.
If the cost to level the house or the floor is too much for you, and you don't expect to be there forever, why not consider a less expensive type of flooring? Look at "Luxury" Vinyl Tile (LVT) or planks, or one of the nicer laminate floors to put over the existing pine flooring. It will cover the gaps in the existing floor.
Of course I can hire some experts to come out and give me an estimate, but I'm wondering WWYD?
I'd hire some experts to come out and give me an estimate.
The PE to evaluate what is needed and prepare a 'scope of work'
so that the 2 or 3 good quality contractors have an equal basis to bid.
I leveled my barn myself with two - 20 ton bottle jacks from harbor freight. $30 each. Some random pieces of wood I had laying around the barn and its now much better. One side I lifted about 6 inches.
I bought a house that was really un-level and hired contractors to deal with that and other upgrades. Overall, it wasn't that horribly expensive.
I think that's your priority, unless you are okay with living with the house being off-kilter.
The way I budget for things, since I'm not wealthy, is I spend money on the "next most important thing." Then, work on the next one.
If I was you, I'd prioritize by getting the house level, as long as it was in any way affordable.
As far as pests, I'd consult with a professional if they're a big problem.
My experience with mice, over many years of owning property, especially rural properties - mice can squeeze into areas way smaller than their body width. So, attempting to close off all possible entrances is impossible. You need a different approach to deterring mice. The good news is, it's usually much cheaper than new flooring.
If it is pier and beam construction some of the piers may have deteriorated and may be able to be replaced or corrected in some way with some inexpensive fixes. Should have someone take a look. You may be able to get it better than it was before rather than completely correct it. Would a 2-3 inch correction be enough? As for light coming in between floor board, maybe some inexpensive laminate floating flooring would be a improvement. A total amateur can install the basically snap together floating laminate flooring. It depends on how far you want to go and invest. If it is going to be a tear down at some point I wouldn't invest too much.
Flooring http://videos.homedepot.com/detail/v...4378376500001/
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
