We ll show you three ways to stiffen up your bouncy floor by adding bridging installing plywood along the joists and adding a wall or beam under the floor.
How to stop a floor from bouncing.
Use the longest 2 6 possible.
You can shore up floor joists and reduce the bounce in a number of ways but the six methods outlined here represent a mix of common and not so common solutions.
For joists made of sawn lumber shown here tom attaches a 2x of the same length and width.
If the bouncing is caused by floor joists that are too long have settled over time or weren t installed correctly you can make some repairs yourself.
Use this figure to order plywood.
If the bounce is severe enough he may use an engineered or laminated veneer lumber lvl beam.
One technique or a combination may be your most practical solution.
Tighten the screws for the floorboards to see if the loose screws are the problem.
This is common in old houses and is usually more of a nuisance than a safety issue.
The longer the brace the more trusses that will be tied together and the stiffer the floor will become.
As homeowners we quickly get used to a floor that has a little bouncy or spring to it as we walk across it and seldom give any thought to whether there is a problem.
Doubling the thickness of joists by adding material to their sides increases strength and stiffness.
Here are some tips for repairing bouncy floors in open web floor truss systems by adding bracing.
The best choice depends on access to the joists obstructions in the floor system or current remodeling plans.
2 measure your floor joists.
Inspect the floor joists underneath the bouncing floor and look for loose screws.
If the floor is sagging visibly in the middle or is very bouncy you may want to reinforce the floor to eliminate the sag and reduce the bounciness for example dishes rattling in a cabinet when you walk by.
Any one of the three can solve your problem depending on your situation.