Sagging Floor Evaluation in Irvington, Indianapolis
A good share of Irvington housing is balloon framed, and that single fact explains most of the floor problems here. In balloon framing the wall studs run unbroken from the sill all the way to the roof, and the second floor does not sit on top of a wall — it hangs off it. The joists are supported by a ribbon board let into the face of the studs, or simply nailed to their sides.
That is a much smaller bearing surface than a platform-framed floor has, and it is the failure point. Where the ribbon board has split, where the notch it sits in was cut too deep, or where the nails have loosened over a century, the joist end drops slightly. Repeated along a wall, that produces a floor that slopes toward its perimeter rather than dishing in the middle — a distinctive pattern once you know to look for it.
The other consequence is less visible: balloon-framed stud cavities are continuous from basement to attic, so anything affecting the studs low down, particularly moisture at the sill, propagates in ways that platform framing does not allow.
What We Look At Here
- Whether the house is balloon or platform framed, which changes the whole analysis
- Ribbon board condition and joist end bearing where floors meet exterior walls
- Whether the floor slopes toward the perimeter rather than the centre
- Joists notched or bored by trades over a century, with attention to depth and location
- Sill and stud bases at the foundation, where moisture damage begins
- Prior sistering, and whether added members actually reach a bearing point
More on the service itself: Sagging Floor & Framing Evaluation. More on the area: Irvington.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
My Irvington floors slope down toward the outside walls. Why that direction?
It is characteristic of balloon framing, where the floor joists hang off a ribbon board let into the wall studs rather than bearing on top of a wall. When that bearing degrades, the floor drops at its edges rather than in the middle.