I have a bouncy floor

[concernfloor]

I just purchased a house that is about 25 years old.

The floor joists are 2 x 8 SPF species and the span is about 12 feet.

The living and dining rooms have these spans. When you walk into the living room, you can feel movement in the dining room. When you walk in the dining room, our hutch starts shaking.

Underneath these areas is an unfinished basement.

Please advise on how we can fix this annoying problem.

 

[noseall]

2 x 8" is an adequate depth joist for a span of 12 feet, provided of course they are not excessively spaced i.e. maximum 18" centres.

it seems as though you have a joist bearing issue. has joist shrinkage caused the timbers to lose their seating?

 

[Shytalkz]

When you walk in the dining room, our hutch starts shaking.

Am I missing something here???!

No ceiling in the basement, perhaps? No noggins? If none of the latter, put some in, min 3/4 depth of joist, at third span. If it's still bouncy, lift boards, screw 12 thick ply down with 65 long screws at 150 centres for 1m from ends, 300 centres in the middle, then put boards back down over that.

 

[noseall]

No ceiling in the basement, perhaps? No noggins? If none of the latter, put some in, min 3/4 depth of joist, at third span. If it's still bouncy, lift boards, screw 12 thick ply down with 65 long screws at 150 centres for 1m from ends, 300 centres in the middle, then put boards back down over that.

are you being deliberately obtuse shy or what!

these are Yanks we're talking to here they won't have a clue what a metric measurement is.

 

[^woody^]

It is every Englishman's job to educate the uneducated

First Barack, and then ....... metrication!

 

[Shytalkz]

Surely you meant metrificationism, eight years of Dubya cannot be wiped out overnight

 

[Retiredeng]

This is a response to concernfloor from New York. I've read with interest tips/advice from both noseall and Shytalkz.
There is a product available in both Canada and the U.S. which will not only reduce significantly if not eliminate the bounce in floors. The product is an Interlocking Bridging System called IBS2000, available from most lumber yards. It allows the joists to be structurally locked together so the floor is stiffer-more rigid, thereby eliminating your bounce problem. The Building Code in Canada, for instance, is indeed adequate, so even if your floor is code-compliant it does not necessarily mean it won't bounce/squeak. My old engineering firm was introduced to the IBS product a few years ago and we found it inexpensive for the client as well as easy to install. In my colleagues' opinion, the best cure-all on the market today to repair bouncy/squeaky floors.
Hope this helps.

 

[noseall]

This is a response to concernfloor from New York. I've read with interest tips/advice from both noseall and Shytalkz.
There is a product available in both Canada and the U.S. which will not only reduce significantly if not eliminate the bounce in floors. The product is an Interlocking Bridging System called IBS2000, available from most lumber yards. It allows the joists to be structurally locked together so the floor is stiffer-more rigid, thereby eliminating your bounce problem. The Building Code in Canada, for instance, is indeed adequate, so even if your floor is code-compliant it does not necessarily mean it won't bounce/squeak. My old engineering firm was introduced to the IBS product a few years ago and we found it inexpensive for the client as well as easy to install. In my colleagues' opinion, the best cure-all on the market today to repair bouncy/squeaky floors.
Hope this helps.

Right there!