We Treat Your Home Like Our Own
Unlike homes with basements or crawl spaces, a slab floor is solid concrete with no structural wood flooring system. For homes with this type of floor, soft soil or bad compaction is almost always the culprit. Once the soil is compromised, the slab will shift, and this creates the sagging or sinking effect. Pressure from that shift will sometimes crack the slab itself, causing high and low places in the flooring. To fix this type of damage, you need concrete slab repairs.
Water is a primary contributor to sagging floors in Chesapeake, as moisture moves easily through the soil surrounding the foundation. The city is known for a high water table, frequent heavy rain, and slow-draining soil, particularly in low-lying areas and near canals. These conditions can allow moisture to build up beneath the home and reach the sill plate, wood beams, and floor joists that sit directly on the foundation. When framing is repeatedly exposed to moisture, the wood begins to deteriorate, reducing its ability to support weight and leading to the need for sagging floor repair in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Standing water is not the only concern for Chesapeake homeowners. Warm summers and persistent humidity create conditions where damp air becomes trapped in crawl spaces. Wooden beams and joists absorb this moisture over time, which causes them to soften and lose strength. As the wood compresses under the weight of the home, floors may begin to slope, feel uneven, or develop noticeable low spots.
Wood damaging insects are another common issue in Chesapeake, especially in neighborhoods surrounded by trees, wetlands, or wooded areas. Termites thrive in moist environments, and powderpost beetles are also found in older homes throughout the city. These insects lay eggs inside wooden framing, and as the larvae feed on the wood, they weaken the floor system from the inside out. This damage often goes unnoticed until sagging becomes apparent.
Human error can also play a role in sagging floors, particularly in Chesapeake homes that have been remodeled or expanded over time. Plumbing, electrical, or HVAC installations sometimes require cutting or altering floor joists to create space for new systems. When these modifications are not properly reinforced, they introduce weak points that can eventually crack, split, or sag under normal household loads.
Building standards have changed significantly, and many Chesapeake homes were built before modern structural guidelines were in place. In older homes, support beams may be undersized or support posts spaced too far apart, especially in crawl spaces that were never engineered for long-term durability. This places additional stress on the floor system and increases the likelihood of sagging as the home ages.
Homes more than 50 years old may also contain materials that were never intended to perform indefinitely. Builders often relied on wood shims to level framing during construction. Over time, these shims compress or deteriorate. At Acculevel, we replace failing wood shims with steel shims to prevent compression and improve load distribution.
Technology and lifestyle changes can also contribute to floor sagging. Before pressure treated lumber became standard, untreated wood was commonly used and is more vulnerable to moisture and insect damage. Many Chesapeake homeowners have also added heavier interior features such as tile flooring, stone countertops, or recreational items like pool tables. These additions increase the load on an already stressed structure, accelerating the need for sagging floor repair in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Contact Acculevel! We provide free estimates on sagging floor repairs.
There are no job check-ins to display
