Structural Floor Repair + Support
Restore Safety, Stability, and Level Floors Without Tearing Up Your Home, with structural floor repair and crawl space support.
Evaluating Settling And Soft Floors
It's common that homeowners call us because they have drywall cracks, sticking doors, soft or bouncing floors, or sloping floors, and they aren't quite sure what the cause is yet.
We offer free inspections, and are experienced in determining the cause of settling. We can help formulate a plan to preserve the foundation of your home, repair sloping floors, and stabilize your floors and foundation.
Floor Joist
Repair + Sistering
Over time, floor joists may become rotted, or sag due to seasonal humidity, plumbing leaks, or excessive weight on the floor.
Repair your floor joist system doesn't mean ripping your floor up. We can repair anywhere from 1 to 100 or more floor joists from under the home, and bring your flooring structure back to it's original level or form.
Foundation Beam Repair + Replacement
Your floor or foundation beams support the floor joists in your home. These beams can sag over time, or become rotted.
We can replace or sister these beams to get your floor structure back to level. This is not an evasive procedure, as it's done from under the home.
Steel Foundation Jacks and Beams
There are many cases where steel jacks and beams are the most reliable repair to add foundation support. We use the Dynamic Post Support Jack System with 24" FootingPads.
This is one of the only foundation support jack systems that meets international building code. This system can be used with either steel or wood beams based on your needs and application, and can be adjusted if they become loose due to temperature and settling variances.
Comprehensive Floor Structure Repairs
There are times when floors need to be ripped up and removed due to extensive sub-floor rot, or foundation sinking issues.
If this is the case, we can get your floors back to level quickly, and with the least possible disruption.
Sub-Floor Repairs
Sub-flooring can become damaged due to crawl space moisture or plumbing leaks. We can typically repair isolated sub-floor damage by structurally supporting it from under the home, preventing you from needing to rip up your floors.
This is a technique called "platting", where we install a 3/4 inch plywood support, right under the damaged floor section, eliminating the soft spot in your floor.
Structural Floor Repair Details
Why Floors Sag Or Become Uneven
Sagging or uneven floors almost always begin with structural problems inside the crawl space. Over time, moisture, humidity, plumbing leaks, or condensation from HVAC ducts weaken the wood that supports the home. Joists, beams, girders, and sill plates can deteriorate, lose their load-bearing ability, or begin to deflect under weight. In some cases, the original construction simply didn’t include enough support, or the existing piers have settled into soft soil. As these elements weaken, the floors above start to dip, slope, or feel soft and bouncy. These issues rarely stabilize on their own; they progress slowly and can spread across multiple rooms if not addressed.
Signs You Need Structural Floor Repair
Homeowners usually notice symptoms inside the home long before discovering a crawl space issue. Floors may begin to feel softer in certain areas or noticeably slope toward the center of the house. Doors can start sticking or rubbing against the jambs, and cracks often appear in drywall around windows, corners, or door frames. Trim and baseboards may begin separating from the wall as the floor system moves out of alignment. Tile and hardwood flooring may shift or crack as the subfloor sags. All of these signs point to structural fatigue beneath the home, not cosmetic wear and tear.
How We Repair Structural Floor Problems
Structural floor repairs are typicallyperformed entirely from the crawl space, meaning your floors inside the home remain untouched. The first step is stabilizing the structure using joist sistering, or engineered support jacks and properly installed footers. If there is damage from moisture or termites, we repair or replace damaged structural components such as joists, girders, or beams. If the sill plate or band board has deteriorated, we rebuild these areas to restore proper load transfer. When existing piers have settled or failed, new supports are installed at correct spacing and load points. Finally, we address the underlying cause of the damage—often moisture—so the structure does not deteriorate again. This may involve vapor barriers, encapsulation, drainage improvements, dehumidification, or plumbing and ductwork correction.
Why Structrual Floor Issues Are So Common
Homes in Virginia, especially throughout Hampton Roads and the Peninsula, face structural challenges that are unique to this region. High humidity levels, seasonal moisture swings, and water intrusion in crawl spaces accelerate wood deterioration. Many older homes were built with minimal structural support, undersized joists, or piers that were never set on proper footers. Termite activity is also common and can severely weaken the floor system without obvious signs inside the home. Plumbing leaks and HVAC condensation often go unnoticed beneath the house, creating the perfect environment for rot. Together, these conditions make sagging floors one of the most common problems in our area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are sagging floors dangerous?
Sagging floors usually indicate that the structural components beneath the home are failing. While the problem may not cause immediate collapse, it will worsen over time and can lead to expensive damage throughout the home if left unaddressed.
Do you need to tear up the floors inside my home to make repairs?
No. All repairs are performed from the crawl space. This keeps the interior of your home clean and undisturbed during the work.
Will the floors be perfectly level after repairs?
The goal is to stabilize the structure and lift the floors where appropriate. Some older homes have natural settlement that does not require complete leveling to be structurally sound.
How long do repairs usually take?
Most structural floor repair projects take between one and three days, depending on the extent of the damage and the number of supports needed.
Can moisture really cause structural problems?
Yes. Moisture is the number one cause of structural deterioration in crawl spaces. Without controlling the moisture source, rot and weakening will continue even after the structure is repaired.
Related Structural Services
Foundation repair, sill plate replacement, band board repair, foundation pier installation, crawl space structural repairs, beam and girder replacement, and crawl space encapsulation all tie directly into floor system stabilization. These services are often combined to create a permanent solution that restores strength and safety to the entire home.
