A major factor when choosing an upstairs floor is the.
How to check upstairs floors.
Foundation issues deteriorating wood supports especially sills which rest on the foundation footer improperly installed joists or sub floors and other issues can all cause a floor to slope or sag.
For the best results you may consider combining two or more methods.
To add softness and reduce wear on your stairs try a runner instead.
However it s important to note that these hacks won t eliminate the problem 100 unless your neighbor decides to.
The faster that it rolls the greater the slope in many cases.
Look for a stamp on the joist that indicates the lumber s species and grade.
Golf ball marble or steel bearing home inspectors will often carry a marble or golf ball with them and if they suspicion that the floor slopes they take out their golf ball or marble and lay it on the floor.
If it rolls away that indicates that the floor is not level.
Leave pieces of duct tape on the floor wherever you notice a squeak.
Important factors when considering an upstairs floor.
Continue moving along the room until you ve located all the loose boards might as well deal with them all.
There are several problems that can cause a sagging or sloping floor which is one of the reasons why fixing a sloping floor is difficult.
This will give you an idea of how much work you ve got cut out for you and where it s needed most.
An upstairs room can be a source of noise for those downstairs with babies crying loud stereos footsteps pets scratching floors you name it.
So go ahead and walk around the room marking all the spots where you hear the noise.
Lay a 4 to 6 foot beam level on your floor.
As such when installing an upstairs floor soundproof features should be at top of the list.
Check the bubble in the horizontal tube in the level to ensure it floats between the two vertical lines.
Use a design value table to find the fb value for your floor joists.
If the bubble isn t floating between the lines.
Once you ve figured out the area try to figure out the source.
Check the level of the subflooring.
Set down a 6 ft 1 8 m level every few feet from one end of the room to the other.
With hard flooring throughout the home fully carpeted stairs can look a bit out of place.
Final thoughts on how to reduce noise from upstairs floors.