# Leveling bathroom floor



## Willieb18 (Jan 20, 2010)

I know this has been asked several times but I didn't see anything that fit my situation. 

My house is around 60 years old. The bathroom floor has a slight slant to it, seems like 3-4" over a 5 foot spand. The guy we bought the house from said that the people who owned the house before him removed the furnace out from under the house and the floor joist were setting on the furnace. When they removed the furnace they didn't put anything back in its place to hold the house up. Under the house the guy I got the house from put a 4"x4" in place to keep it from getting any worse. 

I think there is a load bearing wall between the bathroom and the closet where the foundation support is missing. Should I just rent a jack and jack the floor under the load bearing wall up and stack blocks up for support. We are going to remodel the bathroom and want to start with the floor. I have some background in residential construction but have never jacked up a floor. 

Thanks for your help and sorry if this question has been asked 100 times. 

William


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 20, 2010)

Willieb18 said:


> My house is around 60 years old. The bathroom floor has a slight slant to it, seems like 3-4" over a 5 foot spand.
> 
> I think there is a load bearing wall between the bathroom and the closet where the foundation support is missing. Should I just rent a jack and jack the floor under the load bearing wall up and stack blocks up for support.



That is a serious slope.

If you jack it up, you might want to go slower than 1" per week.  
The problem is, I wouldn't be near the jack when you do this, if I were you, unless you have something incompressible next to you, on both sides.


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## cibula11 (Jan 20, 2010)

Our home's bathroom is the same way.  No support under the tub....years of baths and what do you have.....sagging joists.  

Can you access under the bathroom (maybe the basement)?

If so, you can buy a couple floor jacks and create a beam.  

How large is the  bathroom?   and turn no more than 1/4 turns and no more than 1/4" a day.  You'll probably hear some creaks, but go slow.  

Even if you can bring it up an inch or two, you could always install a sleeper floor or self leveling cement.  You'll use a lot with a 3" slope though


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 20, 2010)

Wuzzat? said:


> That is a serious slope.
> 
> If you jack it up, you might want to go slower than 1" per week.
> The problem is, I wouldn't be near the jack when you do this, if I were you, unless you have something incompressible next to you, on both sides.



Remember, it took 60 years to get that way. Trying to much, to fast is the recipe for a catastrophe


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 20, 2010)

oldog/newtrick said:


> Remember, it took 60 years to get that way. Trying to much, to fast is the recipe for a catastrophe



Yes, and thank you for the sanity check.

I'd like to withdraw my advice, no matter how slowly the floor is raised.  

I'm surprised the house hasn't been condemned.  This is a Darwin Award waiting to happen.


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 20, 2010)

I'd like to meet the genius who supported the floor on the old furnace or the old homeowner who believed it...

Willie, stabilize it and leave well enough alone.


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## Willieb18 (Jan 20, 2010)

The bathroom is about 4'x6'. I put a 2' level on it tonight and it was out maybe 1/2" so its not as bad as I said. I think some of the problem may be from the sub flooring getting wet due to a toilet leak. I have replaced the seal in the toilet three times in the four years since I have been in the house. When we bought the house 4 years ago the inspector said that there was a minor foundation problem refering to this area. The floor has not gotten any worse since we moved in I just want to get it as level as possible before we put down tile.


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## cibula11 (Jan 20, 2010)

1/2" .  I think 1/4" might even be acceptable over a certain distance.  I'd say use some self leveling and forget it.  If you really want to and the space below is accessible you could jack it a little.   

Decide now.  If you tile and late decide to jack the floor, you'll get some cracking tile.

1/2" aint bad at all.


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## Wuzzat? (Jan 20, 2010)

oldog/newtrick said:


> Willie, stabilize it


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