Rotted Joists & Bouncy Floors, Laurelhurst
A kitchen floor the owners had assumed was just an old house, three joists had lost most of their section at the sill.
Location
Laurelhurst, Portland
Service
Crawl Space Repair
Duration
4 days
Completed
September 2, 2025
The situation
Noticeable flex underfoot in the kitchen and a door that had stopped latching. A screwdriver went into three joist ends without resistance where they bore on a damp sill plate (opens in a new tab) , and the girder line had dropped where two piers had settled into soft ground.
What we did
Steel adjustable piers were set on new footings and the span lifted gradually over two days rather than jacked in one go. Three joists were sistered with pressure-treated members and the failed section of sill plate replaced. Sodden batt insulation was stripped out and disposed of.
The outcome
Floor deflection went from 11 mm to under 2 mm across the span. The door latches again, and the crawl was left clean and sound, the owners had it encapsulated the following month.
That order is deliberate. Crawl space repair restores the framing first, because a liner over wood-decay fungi (opens in a new tab) hides a problem instead of ending it. Bouncy floors are sign eight on the list every homeowner should check .
By the numbers
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Joists sistered | 3 |
| Piers installed | 4 |
| Deflection before / after | 11 mm to 2 mm |
| Warranty | 10-year workmanship |
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