We bought an older home (1965) with hardwood floors. They were good and solid when we moved in, been living here a year, and now they have started swagging in the center of the house. What causes this? I also noticed directly above where the floor swags the nails are popping through from the ceiling. So is it just a floor problem or is the entire house drooping, or settling?
If you are noticing a definite dip in the flooring and the upper floor is dipping too, I'd make sure there isn't a structural problem. Floors should remain relatively level. That is a lot of settling for a 42 year old house in one year that you've lived there. Call in a profession! Good luck.
Have major renovations been done to the home? If so, were walls removed. I'd get a building inspector or engineer in to make sure a supporting beam wasn't removed.
Swagging floors can be caused by improper spacing on floor joists. However, when you throw the nail popping from the ceiling this becomes a concern. I would get a structural engineer in there ASAP. There is a chance that your house is sinking, and it's better to find out now then after you try things to fix just the floor. The other concern is that I seriously doubt, if your house is sinking, this is a new problem. I would check with the county where you live to see if there is a history of any building permits to fix a problem such as this. Also talk to neighbors, they usually know what's up.
