Soft or bouncy floor: a pier that let go, or a floor that got wet

A floor that feels soft, spongy or bouncy in one area of a mobile home has one of two causes: the support under it let go, or the floor itself got wet and weakened. A pier that sank or lost its shims leaves a section of beam without support, and the floor over it flexes. A leak under a bathroom or kitchen softens the decking even when every pier is tight. We go under the home and find out which one it is before we quote. Pier work typically runs $75 to $150 per pier to reshim and $150 to $400 per pier to rebuild, and you get a written quote after we have looked.

Check this first

• Where is it? Near a bathroom, the kitchen sink, the washer or the water heater points to water. In a hallway or living area away from plumbing points to support.
• Does it bounce or sink? A spring that comes back when you step off is usually support. A spot that stays dished, or feels crumbly, is usually the decking.
• Is there a smell? A musty smell near the soft spot means moisture.
• Doors nearby? If doors in the same area stick too, the frame has moved, and that is a sticking doors and leveling problem as much as a floor one.
• Look under, carefully. From the access door, look for insulation hanging down, a torn belly, or standing water under that part of the home.

Telling the causes apart

Why it happens in North Fort Myers

Two local conditions push floors in this direction. First, the ground. Most of North Fort Myers is poorly drained flatwood sand, and in soils such as Pineda and Wabasso the water table is often 10 to 40 inches down for much of the year. Pads on that ground can settle, and a settled pad takes the pier and its support with it. Second, moisture under the home. Where water collects under a home after rain, the air under the floor can stay damp. If the underbelly is torn, that damp can reach the floor framing. Florida Rule 15C-1 asks for the ground under a home to be graded so water does not collect there, so on every soft-floor job we look at where the water goes.

How we fix it

1. We find the soft area from inside, then go under and check the piers on the beams closest to it.
2. If a pier lost contact, we reshim it. If it failed, we rebuild it on a pad at least the 4 by 16 by 16 inch solid concrete that Florida’s rule sets as a minimum.
3. If the decking is the problem, we track down the leak first, because new flooring over a running leak goes soft again.
4. We look at the belly and the ground under that area and tell you what we see. See vapor barrier and underbelly repair.

When to call

Call us if a spot keeps getting softer, if it sits near plumbing, or if the soft floor came with sticking doors or bowing skirting. Our pier and pad repair page covers the support side, and every range is on our pricing page.