How bad is flooring damage?

5 years ago

I'm in the market for a house and I looked at a great house today but the floor is uneven. The main part of the floor that's uneven is bowed up and has the original hardwood. The rest of the house is a little slopped or uneven but is covered in cheap laminate. It has a basement and we didn't see any issues with the foundation down there. I'm hoping that it's a problem with the sub-floor or a simple joist issue at most, but since they replaced the original hardwood I'm wondering if that indicates what the problem could be?

Any thoughts would be helpful. I don't want to buy a house with more issues than it's worth.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

homechef59

5 years ago

Depends on the area, type of construction and the age of the house. In New Orleans, a four inch variation in level is not unusual in the historic districts. In Texas, it's a big issue.

If you like the house, you can arrange for an inspection by a structural engineer as part of your due diligence inspection period. Not a basic inspector, an engineer with a license. They will produce a report that will inform you of the extent of any issues with the structure and foundation.

One of your inspections should probably be a water level test. It will determine the degree of deflection of the flooring throughout the structure.

To repair may be a big cost or no cost. Rocking and rolling floors isn't terminal, but you need to know the cause and cost of repair, if any. The sales price should reflect this cost if you choose to proceed.

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Comments (9)

SJ McCarthy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Foundation...foundation...foundation.

You don't always see the settling, if parts of the basement are finished. If the house has a super low price and you REALLY want it, then pay for an engineering report as part of the conditions of sale. If the report scares you then you have the right to back out.

No matter what, this is a "project house".
HU-445452340 thanked SJ McCarthy
cat_ky
5 years ago
bowed, sloped or uneven floors, would be a bit on the scary side for me. I would worry foundation that you cant see too. It could be all very expensive.
HU-445452340 thanked cat_ky
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chispa
5 years ago
And don't let the Realtor recommend the inspectors/engineers, that is a conflict of interest.

Ask for recommendations from family, friends and co-workers, specially older ones that might have bought/sold a few houses.
HU-445452340 thanked chispa
H202
5 years ago
Meh, depends on the age of the house. We had an urban row house. Did an inspection when we bought, sellers did an inspection when we sold, and we did a major gut reno in the interim - and the two inspectors and our contractor all confirmed no foundation issues, and that the sloped floors were just common with 150 year old houses, and it wasn't worth fixing. We had one room where the floor sloped 3 inches in the span of one dresser. And this was not a cheap house - very expensive urban neighborhood.

That said, of course, find an independent exceptional inspector and see what they say.
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G & S Floor Service
5 years ago
If, the floor is wavy stay away. A small unnoticeable slope is ok, but stay away from a large one. It can indicate a lot of hidden problems.
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Teresa Rinehart
5 years ago
I would not personally buy any home with the floor that you described, not after living in a home that had to have an I beam support added to the basement to correct the foundation/bowed flooring issue. Never again.
HU-445452340 thanked Teresa Rinehart
Teresa Rinehart
5 years ago
I would note here that the home I lived in with a similar problem was in the midwest and was never inspected by a licensed engineer. My main complaint about living through the repair was that we had to walk around gaping holes in the floor for weeks while they positioned the IBeam.
HU-445452340 thanked Teresa Rinehart
HU-445452340
Original Author
5 years ago
So, the house is in the midwest and it's not terribly old, I'm think it could be water damage. It has an unfinished basement with cinderblocks, so I think foundation issues would be easy to spot.

Getting a licensed engineer is a great idea! Thanks all.