Atlanta, GA

Sagging or Uneven Floors in Atlanta, GA

How Sagging or Uneven Floors Develop

Sagging or uneven floors occur when the system supporting the floor—joists, beams, and posts—can no longer carry the load evenly. The floor may dip, slope, feel bouncy, or sit at different heights from room to room. This is often the result of long-term moisture exposure, soil movement under supports, or simply aging structural components that were never designed for modern loads.

Get A Quote

Underlying Causes of Floor Irregularities

A floor doesn’t become uneven overnight. It usually reflects several problems working together: weakened wood, shifting supports, and changing conditions beneath the house. Understanding these causes helps explain why the symptoms can show up in many different parts of the home.

Moisture Damage to Structural Wood

High humidity, leaks, or damp crawlspaces and basements cause wood beams and joists to swell, warp, and eventually rot. As they lose stiffness, they begin to deflect more under the same load, creating dips and bounces in the floor surface.

Shifting or Settling Soil Beneath Supports

Many homes rely on piers or posts resting on soil. When that soil settles, shrinks, or erodes, the posts drop or tilt, and the support system under the floor moves. This leads to sloping floors and misaligned framing.

Aging Beams and Joists

In older homes, original structural members may have dried, cracked, or been overloaded over time. Even if they’re not rotten, decades of use can cause sagging or deflection that didn’t exist originally.

Insufficient or Incorrect Support Layout

Sometimes, the original design didn’t include enough support posts or used undersized beams or joists for the span. When spans are too long, the floor naturally sags in the middle, especially when carrying modern furniture, appliances, and finishes.

Cracked, Rotten, or Modified Joists

Cut joists for plumbing, HVAC, or past renovations can weaken the structure. Joists that are cracked, partially cut, or notched in the wrong places lose strength and allow floors to dip.

Termite or Pest Damage

Termites, carpenter ants, and other wood-destroying insects can quietly hollow out beams and joists. The wood may look mostly intact on the outside but can no longer support normal loads, causing sudden or progressive sagging.