# Can I install flooring perpendicular to a hump in floor?



## m2244 (Feb 26, 2013)

Hello,

I am in the middle of a bedroom remodel. The subfloor is old 1x boards and they have gaps between them anywhere from 1/8 to 3/8. I am currently laying down 1/2" plywood over the existing 1x boards, glueing and screwing the hell out of it.  The problem is that you can feel a hump down the center of the house. Not sure how to measure this hump to give anyone an idea how bad it is. My question is, will this hump bother our hardwood floor install? I plan on putting 5/8 solid bamboo stranded flooring down. The flooring strips would run perpenducular to this hump. So, I wonder if the flooring strips would flex enough over this hump. The fact that it's stranded bamboo worries me with flexing.


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## nealtw (Feb 26, 2013)

Find a peice of wood or something that will span from the side of the room to the center of the hump and then measure the gap close to the hump, do both sides.


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## m2244 (Feb 26, 2013)

nealtw said:


> Find a peice of wood or something that will span from the side of the room to the center of the hump and then measure the gap close to the hump, do both sides.




It looks about 11/16 in 4 feet on one side of the hump and about 7/8 in 4 feet on the other side.


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## nealtw (Feb 26, 2013)

That's not a hump, it's a curb. The first choice is to find the cause and fix that. Can you see what's going on from under. Do the floor joists run in the same direction as the hump?
Short of fixing the whole floor, you might cut tapered firring strips to put above the floor joists and then use 5/8 t&g plywood.
Level may not be practical but somewhat straight is needed.


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## m2244 (Feb 26, 2013)

Not sure if it's much of an option. Damn old houses! Can we still put in the flooring. The old flooring was spruce I believe.

The worst mistake of my life was buying this friggin place! Getting seriously discouraged.


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## nealtw (Feb 26, 2013)

You've already covered it with plywood?
Direction of joists?


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## Jaz (Feb 26, 2013)

Yea, that's pretty bad, it needs to be fixed unless you go with carpeting.  It'll look and feel bad with carpeting too but........

So this 1x is the subfloor?  How wide are the boards?  

Jaz


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## nealtw (Feb 26, 2013)

Put a 1" spacer on each side of the room and lay a straight edge across to see if the floor is sagging or does it just have a hump.


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## Rusty (Feb 27, 2013)

You can install vinyl or carpet. That's about all.


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## nealtw (Feb 27, 2013)

You guys give up to soon, this has to be fixed evan for carpet, you can't have a 1" trip hazard in the middle of the floor!


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## m2244 (Feb 27, 2013)

Now I am wondering if I can cut a few of the 1x boards and do some shimming/leveling that way?

Man, life can really pile on the BS at times.


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## nealtw (Feb 27, 2013)

Experience is gained by solving the big problems. There are a few ways to fix it.
You won't get anything usable unless you start answering questions.
What direction do the floor joists go?
How much plywood have you installed now?
Does the floor sag or is there just a hump?


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## m2244 (Feb 27, 2013)

nealtw said:


> Experience is gained by solving the big problems. There are a few ways to fix it.
> You won't get anything usable unless you start answering questions.
> What direction do the floor joists go?
> How much plywood have you installed now?
> Does the floor sag or is there just a hump?



I missed your question from last night, I was a bit wound up.

The hump (curb) is the center line of the house, the floor joists run perpendicular to the hump, it's where they rest in the center of the house. This hump is only a problem (I think) where the hallway crosses over. So, there is a hallway at the top of the stairs, then you turn left, step through a 36" doorway, this is where the hump is, in that 36" doorway.

There is a slight sag to the floor but it's mostly the hump. I would say that this damn hump is about 14 to 18 inches wide and 36 inches long (again, the width of the doorway).

The plywood stops about 2 feet short of the hump. I have a piece all cut and ready to go but then I figured I should ask the question about flooring, good thing I guess.

Sorry for the rant last night, my wife is getting depressed from living in a fixer upper for the past 6 or 7 years.


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## nealtw (Feb 27, 2013)

Cut and remove the 1" x? floor boards over the hump.
Place a 4 ft 2x4 under the floor from side to side along side the floor joist. Glue and screw.
Add 2x4s like that on both sides of the floor joists.
Put 1" floor back down between the joist on top the 2x4s.
Cover with 1/2" plywood.

Sorry about the bite, but you can't think well, while you are frustrated.


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## nealtw (Feb 27, 2013)

Jaz and Samfloor:  We see this from time to time in new house construction when people install engineered beams flush with the floor and hang wet floor joist off them. The floor joists shrink and we have a hump. It's usually just a matter of playing with plywood thickness over the beem. My wish is that house framers would put the beam in 1/4" low and make sure the plywood spans the beam.


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