Your building’s flooring is one of those installations you never really pay attention to until it’s time to clean it. However, it witnesses a lot of traffic and can become damaged due to a wide range of factors. When you notice a sag, slump, or ripple on your floor, this is a clear call for attention. Addressing this problem may be costly, but, you can save money if you fix sinking floors quickly. In this article, we prepare you for the cost implication of projects like this.
To enable you to prepare better for the repair process, this article goes over the common types of flooring and how much you may potentially spend on the repair process.
Cost of Fixing Sagging Concrete Slab Floors – $1,000 to $10,000
Concrete slabs are durable and offer years of support. However concrete sags may occur when the earth underneath concrete has moved, settled, or has been eroded. Sagging is primarily caused by a space between the ground layer and the concrete slab. The lack of appropriate support from the earth to the concrete slab causes it to sag, leading to the problem you’re experiencing with your floor.
Slab jacking is an effective solution to address this problem. This method requires concrete to be pumped into the space created beneath the slab; the slab is then raised to standard. This process costs an upward of $1,000 and is influenced by the size of the affected area, the location where the problem occurred, and the contractor hired.
While slab jacking is just one of the solutions to employ, it is not necessarily the best. This method often offers a temporary solution to a permanent problem, especially when the earth continues to settle. This means that there’ll constantly be space between the new concrete thickness each time the earth settles. You can use helical piers which can be erected to tie into the undisturbed zones to address this problem.
Helical piers cost thousands of dollars per pier. The pricing of the project will depend on where the house is located, the depth of the aperture, weight requirement, and whether the piers will be installed manually or using a machine.
Cost of Fixing Sagging Floors in Crawl Spaces and Basements – $2,400 to $10,000
The wood structure of a home and its structural integrity are interlinked. This means that any problem with the wood structure can affect the building’s structural integrity. If you are dealing with frequent damage in your basement or crawl space, chances are high that the direction of the damage is often indicative of where the problem started.
There are many factors that can cause your basement floor to sink or sag. Common issues responsible for this problem are humidity and water. Repairs can be expensive, depending on the cause of the problem, the extent of the repair, the size of the affected area, and other factors. If you are dealing with a water problem that may be responsible for floor sinking or settling, a foundation repair service may be recommended. Foundation repairs can cost several thousands of dollars, depending on the extent of damage you’re dealing with.
Once the problem has been addressed, it is best to construct a drainage system throughout the crawl space or basement to prevent a recurrence.
Cost of Repairing Sill Plates – $2,000 to $6,000
When your floor slopes towards an outside wall but hasn’t affected the foundation, there is a high chance that your sill plates may have been compromised. The sill plate is the part of the floor that sits on top of the concrete foundation. Replacing your sill plates can cost a few hundred dollars per linear foot. The contractor will determine the best approach to this, whether to rebuild or replace the sill plates.
Cost of Repairing Floor Joists – About $2,000
When your floor dips, drops, or slopes, this is usually indicative of a problem with your joists. Joists are often affected by water problems that may spread from the sill plates. When this problem occurs, you may have to repair the sagging beams or sister them for added support. In most cases, joists removal and replacement is not recommended as this could totally damage the subfloor and possibly the floor layer. This repair process can cost between a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
Cost of Repairing Rim Joist or Band Board – $40 and $50 Per Foot
The band board is the wooden element on top of the sill plate. Band boards are also known as rim joists or band joists and they shield the ends of the floor joists while protecting and supporting the home’s exterior walls. They can often be damaged by high humidity levels due to exposure to the outside air. Repairing this damage can be done through sistering of the affected parts. The entire project can cost a few hundred dollars depending on the extent of the damage.
