Can You Fix An Uneven Floor, And How Much Does It Cost?

Every homeowner prizes hardwoods’ timeless beauty, so the thought of warped hardwood floors is something straight out of a horror movie. The good news is that uneven floors can be restored to their original glory!

However, the root cause of your uneven hardwood flooring is the first thing you need to assess. Once you understand the cause of your warped boards, you can contact a professional hardwood floor repair company, like the Brothers Flooring, to restore them! Flooring contractors can also help determine the underlying cause of your uneven floors and offer repair estimates.

Read on to discover how to bring new life to your uneven hardwood floors!

The Cause Of Uneven Hardwood Floors

The first step to restoring your hardwood floors is to determine why they warped in the first place. Here are the most common causes of uneven hardwood floors:

• Incorrect installation: You never want to hire the cheapest flooring contractor when installing costly hardwood floors, as you may get what you paid for. Unprofessional or inexperienced flooring installers may rush a job, which leads to them cutting corners, like making sure the subfloor is perfectly level before the hardwood goes down. They may also be unfamiliar with the intricacies of installing hardwood floors, meaning their inexperience will lead to improperly installed flooring.
• Water damage: The natural foe of hardwood is moisture. If your home encounters a sudden, unexpected leak from a burst pipe or has high sustained indoor humidity, this will negatively affect your hardwood.
• Foundation issues: We may not be able to see our homes gradually shifting; this is especially true with new builds, but our homes can move and settle. This gradual movement can cause uneven flooring.
• Joist damage: The final reason hardwood floors become uneven is due to damage to the joists. Your joists support the subfloor, so if they encounter water-or-age-related damage or termites, the integrity of your floors will be compromised. 

A Guide To Restoring Your Uneven Hardwood Floors

Now that you know the cause of your uneven floors, it’s time to hire a hardwood floor repair company to restore them. These are the general techniques flooring contractors use to fix uneven floors:

• Troubleshooting The Cause: You need to determine the cause of your uneven flooring.
• Level Of Severity: Once you’ve determined the cause of your uneven floors, then it’s time to assess whether it’s a minor or major problem—does it affect a small area, or is it widespread? Naturally, isolated issues are cheaper to fix, while expansive problems are more costly. 
• Restoring Hardwood: Now that you know why your floors are uneven and how big the problem is, you can turn your attention to restoration techniques. These are the common ways to remedy uneven hardwood floors:
• Planeing: For very minor uneven floors, a flooring contractor will shave off the highest points to level them. This is done before you need a full resand and refinish.
• Sanding and refinishing: For minor blemishes, the easiest solution is sanding and refinishing the floors as it buffers out the imperfections.
• Shimming: For minor localized hardwood floor repairs, an experienced flooring contractor can shim the subfloor and level it so the floor no longer dips.  
• Levelling: For major uneven floors where the foundation or the subfloor has shifted, a professional flooring contractor will jack up the troublesome spot and level it. This is not a DIY project, as foundational shifts don’t just mean uneven floors but indicate a structural problem. Hence, hiring a professional to address this issue properly is recommended.
• Sistering joists: For major issues caused by joist problems, you have to sister or reinforce the affected joints. Like levelling, this is not a DIY job and should only be done by an experienced professional.

How Much Does It Cost To Fix Uneven Floors?

The cost of fixing uneven floors depends on the severity of the problem and the technique needed to remedy it. In addition, when applicable, you also have to consider the labour costs of hiring a professional flooring contractor to do the hardwood floor repairs. Here’s a rough guideline on how much it’ll cost you to repair uneven floors:

• Minor: Minor repairs, such as planeing or sanding, cost about $3-$10 a square foot.
• Mid-Level: Mid-level repairs, such as sistering joists or floor levelling, will run about $12-$15 a square foot. Usually, joist repair costs per joist range from $100 to $400, depending on the contractor and the severity.
• Major: Major structural repairs, such as foundational levelling, are the most costly to fix as flooring contractors are doing more than just addressing the hardwood appearance. They’re also repairing the structural issues affecting the integrity of your home. The cost will range from $3-$25 a square foot or upwards of $5,000 for major repairs.

Final Thoughts On Hardwood Floor Repair

If you want your hardwood flooring to age like a fine wine, the key is continuous maintenance, like routine cleaning. Caring for your floors from the first day of installation will protect them from unsightly damage. 

However, when life happens, like a pipe bursting onto your hardwood or the foundation shifts, leading to uneven floors, this doesn’t mean you have to rip up your floors and start anew. Not only do you have options, but these options may cost less than hiring a flooring installer to rip up and replace your hardwood!

The first step to repairing uneven floors is awareness. If you’re unsure how to assess why your floors are no longer level, call a professional flooring contractor and get their opinion! In fact, you can give us, the Brothers Flooring, a call for a free, no-risk consultation. We can help you determine the underlying problem.