Start by having someone walk across the floor while you listen from.
How to reinforce a plywood floor from underneath.
If the wall will have a doorway place a double 2 6 header above the door s rough opening.
If the crystal goblets in the china cabinet chime musically when someone walks across the room or if the floor just feels bouncy the.
Repair from below use carpenter s glue.
Here we ll show you how to fix a squeaky floor when working below the floor and above it.
Depending on cost and practicality they could mean beefing up the floor joists or adding new support underneath with new or reinforced posts of support beams.
The joints between pieces of plywood on the subfloor might require reinforcing with 2 by 6 blocking if the plywood used did not have tongue and groove edges.
If the subfloor isn t strong enough this can cause a constant squeaking in the affected weak section or sagging of the subfloor panels and joists.
This provides sufficient support for most cast iron bathtubs which run under 500 pounds even when full.
How to reinforce floors with a crawl space foundation.
If the floor is over a basement or crawl space go below to make the repairs.
We even include tips for quieting carpeted areas and noisy stairs.
If your subfloor is accessible from underneath the process of reinforcing it is a quick one.
How to make floor joists stronger.
If the floor was built using the general 16 inch spacing you can expect a bathroom floor to safely hold 40 psf.
Assuming the joists are in good condition the solution to both sagging and bounciness problems is to reinforce the floor.
Tongue and groove edges on plywood make the subfloor strong as if a single piece of plywood was fit over the entire floor.
Long spans of joists in newer homes may wobble or bounce from foot traffic.
So a 5 by 10 foot bathroom floor generally supports up to 2 000 pounds.
If you build a wall to support joists be sure to place a stud directly and tightly under each joist.
Reinforcing the subfloor with blocking adds strength to the surface simply by stiffening the floor joists.
After several centuries of service floor joists in older homes may sag or crack.