How Worried Should You Be If Floors Are Uneven?

/in /by

Quite a few homeowners, particularly those who have bought or inherited an older building will sometimes notice that when they walk around, they can feel divots, lumps or even a slanted underfoot. In some cases, you can even see that something is not right let alone feel it.

There are a lot of different factors that can cause a floor to feel uneven, some of which are the relatively innocuous result of decades of constant floor traffic, however others are a sign of a much bigger, more significant potential problem with the foundations.

Exactly how worried you should be will depend on the circumstances, but if it is bothering you at all, then calling experienced builders and structural experts will either diagnose the issue or give you peace of mind.

Sometimes a sloping or sagging floor is simply the result of improper installation, and in that case, it is simply a matter of taking up the carpet, parquet or flooring surface, reinstalling the floorboards or sub-floor correctly and putting everything back.

Sometimes an additional floor levelling compound is poured into the area to fix the issue, but in either event, it is a relatively simple and affordable task.

What is more of a potential issue, and typically is the case if the entire bottom floor has developed a slant, is that an uneven floor could potentially be the result of poorly constructed or poorly maintained foundations.

This would require more specialist solutions and a thorough inspection of the foundations by a structural expert.

There are ways to fix the foundations depending on how serious the damage is, which involve either filling space below the foundations or using hydraulic machines to essentially lift the foundation and build a stable platform below it.

Sometimes this can happen if the ground the house is built on top of shifts, although in most areas this is unlikely since the ground is heavily compacted before any foundations are laid.

How Do You Know If An Extension Is Right For You?

/in /by

Most parents will be forgiven for insisting on having a house extension in Telford as the end of the summer holidays approaches, wanting to have a larger living area so everyone in the family can have space from each other. 

But, how do you know if you really need a house extension even after the schools go back and you get your home to yourself again?

  • You need a place for work 

Since the pandemic, more people have continued to work from home. However, in order to have a good work/life balance, it is important to have a distinct space for office tasks. 

If you don’t have a study or a spare room, it could be worth having an extension so you can shut away work in the evenings. 

  • You need an extra bedroom 

Lots of children share bedrooms, but there comes a point when they want some privacy from their siblings. If your little ones are nearing their teens, you may find they want to have their own distinct space.

Having an extra bedroom put in the loft could let them have this independence, and could reduce sibling arguments in the house at the same time. 

  • You like social gatherings

Some houses have the right amount of square footage but the wrong layout. Those with properties from the turn of the 19th Century through to the 1990s, for instance, will have separate living, dining and family rooms, as well as kitchens. 

In fact, popular in 1950s interior design were room dividers, such as mirrored or glass block walls, aimed at keeping spaces separated.

However, the trend for the last couple of decades has been for open-plan spaces incorporating all these spaces into one large room. 

If you enjoy social gatherings or want to be close to your kids while cooking dinner, you might want to extend the downstairs to make a large kitchen-dining area.