Do marbles or round toys always roll off to one side of the room in your home? Does water or any other liquid always flow in a specific direction? If your answer to these questions is a ‘yes’, then the flooring in the room is uneven. Uneven flooring is usually due to a flaw in the foundation, although it can also be due to the builder’s mistake. In any case, leaving the floor level uneven may not be a good idea.
Risks of uneven flooring
Uneven floors means the floor is sloping to one side, which is bad when water or any other beverage spills on you floor. Liquids flow quickly down the slope, and settle in one corner of the room due to uneven flooring, which eventually damages the hardwood floors. When exposed to too much moisture, the hardwood flooring can become weak and tender, making the floor a hazard for residents.
Uneven flooring could indicate dampness
Uneven flooring can also indicate serious structural problems. For instance, if you notice that the flooring hasn’t always been uneven and that the slope seems to have appeared only recently, it could be due to excessive moisture in one area of the house. Dampness that exists continuously in a single place can cause structural damage to the property, especially in the basement. As the basement is not exposed to sunlight, this dampness can spread in a particular region and result in mold, which will damage the foundation wood blocks supporting the house.
Foundation settling could result in uneven floors
A number of properties usually “settle” as they become older. This means the foundation of the house settles into the ground, and one portion of it may not be able to support the house as well as it should. This could cause unevenness in the flooring. When this happens, the floorboards may also start creaking and there could be cracks in the walls in some areas. This, however, is common is old houses, mostly mid-century homes built using concrete.
Do not ignore uneven floors
If you find that the flooring in your home has been uneven from the beginning, it is most likely due to faulty measurement during construction. Even then, it should be corrected as soon as possible. If the house is old, it could indicate moisture issues or foundation settling, both of which should be addressed at the earliest keeping in mind the safety of the residents.
