Totally solid. Incessant squeaking when you walk across the floor, or squeaking in certain areas of the floor. Now on the other hand – on my garden level the old sub floor did have to be ripped out because the joists were all sagging and twisted. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. The underlayment, therefore, is easy to pull up and remove. If your joists are not level and you need to re-level the floor … you need to rip up subfloor and start fresh. Mold will not grow in your floor or cabinets if they are dry. Subfloor damage caused by water can be reversed with the help of professional tools , but it’s important to catch the signs of rot early to prevent it from spreading to the rest of your subflooring materials. No creaks or soft spots. However, if the noise has not been a problem before, it may be a sign that the subfloor needs to be partially or completely replaced. If the subfloor feels spongy, it may need to be replaced entirely. If it is 12 percent or lower, walk on the subfloor. The minute you started really looking, it was obvious that it all had to come out, down to the joists, and almost all new subfloor needed to be put in. Here, I put 5/8″ underlayment down over the old subfloor but I was doing 11″ herringbone and that needs a very flat and stable surface for a nailing base. Also any other reccomendations maybe for a LVL or a glulam will be appreciated. Fill holes or low areas with a cement and latex compound. So I called a plumber. Doorways are affected, doors might need to be trimmed. I just removed the carpet in a room and discovered a subfloor that has signs of water damage. The window was recently replaced by the former owner and - according to my own inspection - seems very well sealed. As a rule, the biggest difference you can have between two adjacent high points is 3/16 of an inch. Hello. Get a six or eight-foot straight, flat thing and check the flatness of the floor in many directions. The source of the water seems to be the window based on the location and the fact that the bottom 2x4 of the wall also shows some signs of the damage. Subpanel clearance - mainpanel grandfathered, Building a TV stand alternative to wall mount that will not tip over. Subfloors must be flat in order to properly support your flooring. Copyright© 3. Is there any way to seal the damage to prevent it from spreading and place a new floor over it. The joists are usually sagging and need to be leveled. If the joist has been cut or drilled improperly to run wires, pipes or ducts beneath the floor, the joist may have lost some of its structural integrity. stained). I will only replace areas that need it. It is important to remember that it is not just the top flooring materials that need to be replaced from time to time. The key is to isolate the area to use the dehumidifier followed by circulating air using the fans. So, all indications are that the cause of the water damage has been resolved. The subfloor then must be cut out and removed so you can examine the framing and … The subfloor in my bathroom was damaged by careless shower curtain placement. 3. You will need to do your best to know the signs that it is time to have the subfloor repaired or completely replaced. Undamaged cement backer board does not need to be replaced. The contractor did put that red paper over the old sub floor first though – maybe thats what makes it so solid. On the other hand, if you do decide to get rid of some/all of that flooring…I want it. If the subfloor was in that bad a shape, believe me, you’d know it. The OSB panels can feel rough and still maintain all of their structural integrity. Is it warped? Website operating Of course, if you’re living there ….. Also, it’s true, in these formally “poor” neighborhoods, people didn’t remove floors, just covered them up, so you can potentially gain a lot of height. 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