How can I fix the dip in my living room floor along the wall – raise the metal beam or scribe the trim to the floor?
Asked by Mirjana Majstorović 
4 months ago
Last Updated: July 27, 2024
Hey, so I noticed a slight dip in my living room floor by the wall. I was thinking of adding new trim, but there would be a gap between the trim and the floor. Do you think it’s possible to adjust the metal beam in the basement to fix it? How would I go about that or should I hire someone? Or do you think it’s better to just carefully fit the trim to the floor and hope it looks okay? 🤷🏼♀️
If you could provide some photos, that would be really helpful. I’m specifically looking for images of the basement beam and floor trim.
I included them in the post, !
I can’t find any pictures
No content
I’m not totally sure, but I think the beam is running underneath and parallel to the wall, and it sort of dips out about a foot into the living room.
James Mattson Jr. is about 12 feet away from the outer wall or frame, and stops before the stairs.
It could be a good plan to address the basement problem, but if it’s just the appearance of the flooring bothering you, throw in a rug and arrange furniture to divert attention from the imperfection.
It’s kind of a mix of both haha. If I knew the floor wouldn’t be an issue down the line, I’d be fine just covering it up. But, I also don’t want to create problems for myself by ignoring it.
Hey , I gotcha!
If it were me, I’d opt for a pvc trim piece, shoe molding, or quarter round. I’ve always resided in older homes with uneven floors, and attempting to fix settlement issues was always a tedious task with minimal payoff.
Here’s how I managed to address the uneven floors in a farmhouse from the 1800s.
The adjustable floor jack is made of metal and was likely added to stabilize the floor and address an underlying issue. It’s hard to determine the exact problem from the picture alone. Trying to adjust or add another jack in a different location could help reduce the sag in the floor. You might want to have someone with home construction experience inspect the basement to understand the structural issues better.
That beam functions as a floor jack. It’s best to have a professional handle any adjustments and observe their process so that you can learn how to make adjustments in the future if necessary.
Secure both ends of the dip and gently press down on the molding in the center. Alternatively, you can use quarter round or shoe molding.
I already gave this a shot, but it’s too deep for me to reach all the way 🥲 or I might not be strong enough haha
Ah, I get it now. That trim piece is really sturdy. Why not try placing a longer section of quarter-round or smaller molding on top of it? It should be easier to bend down. Also, it’s worth considering that the floor joists might be sagging underneath. They may need to be lifted and reinforced.
Hire an engineer for a small fee to inspect the problem and advise on the correct solution
Just shoe it and then you can walk away.
You know, at the end of the day, the shoe is all about concealing the imperfections of the floor (or wall), don’t you think?
Yep, .
If you try to lift the beam/header to fix a minor visual issue with the baseboard, you may encounter unexpected problems. Raising the header could potentially cause the drywall joints to crack on multiple floors and areas.
To address this, remove the baseboard and apply pressure to the center to create a slight curve before reattaching it.🙂
Do you think it’s simply a matter of appearance? I’m worried there might be something more serious going on.
The framing in the picture of the floor jack seems newer, which is a positive sign. If the joist system in the floor is older, there may have been one or two undersized joists causing a dip in the flooring. Older homes often lacked precision in foundation and framing, focusing more on interior finishing. Knowing the age of the house would provide more context.
The house is just 30 years old, as it was built in 1993. It’s not brand new, but I wouldn’t consider it old either.
I appreciate all the recommendations! I’m thinking of bringing in a professional to assess if there are any underlying issues. If not, then I’ll go with quarter round 😂
I penned a poem for you:
Jenny, please don’t lift that Jack,
everything will get out of whack.
It might fill the gap in the trim,
but consider this, on a whim:
A rug, a table, a chair, a lamp;
You’ll cover that gap like a champ!
That’s hilarious 😂
😜
Can you access the floor from below? By adding supporting 2×4’s and toenailing them in place, can you secure it? We had a squeaky spot in the corner of our family room extension above the basement utility room. A simple solution in the end
‘t forget to caulk.