There are certain signs that can indicate that your home's flooring system has started to deteriorate and needs to be replaced or fixed. Here are two such signs.

The floorboards bow under your weight

If when you walk across one of the floors in your home, the floorboards bow under your weight, it is very likely that there is a problem with this part of your property's flooring system. This issue usually arises when the trusses within the flooring system have weakened.

Trusses act as stabilising components which support the subfloor and uppermost flooring that sit on top of them. If they become moist (as a result of dampness in the property, high humidity levels or a nearby leaking water pipe) or if they are damaged by rodents or termites, the trusses in your flooring system may develop large cracks or start to crumble.

When this happens, they will no longer be able to support the upper layers of the system. This can result in the floorboards bowing as a result of the pressure placed upon them by your bodyweight. This is why, if you have noticed your floorboards bowing, you should have your flooring system inspected by a tradesperson, as there is a good chance that some of the floor trusses are damaged and need to be replaced.

The floors in your home are no longer level

If the floors in your home were previously completely level and now some of them have developed a slope, this could mean that your flooring system has deteriorated. This usually happens when the floor system's timber components below the area where the slope begins and ends have collapsed.

The collapsing of these components can be caused by a type of fungi called wet rot, which grows on damp wood and subsequently erodes it to the point where it loses all of its structural integrity. When this happens, the wood becomes soft and can crumble very easily when placed under any strain.

It is very important to get this problem resolved quickly and to avoid walking on the affected floors until the repair work has been completed, as in its current condition, there is a risk that anyone who stands on the floor could fall through it. If an incident like this happens, not only could the person involved be badly hurt but the repair of the floor may also take cost a lot more and take far longer.