There are many factors that can affect its longevity, such as the material, the amount of moisture it's exposed to, etc. However, most subfloors can last as long as the home itself. That said, you may have to replace your subflooring after 20 to 30 years if it has absorbed too much water too often.
It's difficult to assess if the sub-floor is rotting until carpets or tile are pulled back and an inspection is conducted. However, if the sub-floor feels spongy and sags when walking across the floor, this is a sign of a rotted sub-floor.
The hollow/spongy patches aren't caused by sagging. The floor is trying to expand, but is being pinched at the edges because there's not an adequate expansion gap where the floor meets the walls, so it buckles upwards.
Water damage to your subfloor can cause soft spots over time. Repairing the damage quickly can help your home avoid soft spots and problems with sunken areas in the subfloor. Get help from the professionals at BAY Crawl Space. Watch for the signs of water damage so you can get your house help from a pro.
Wet rot is more likely to smell than dry rot. It has a damp, musty smell that has been described as smelling earthy and like rotting soil.
Generally, no. Insurance would cover a sudden loss event. A slow leak causing rot over an extended period of time is not a sudden loss event.
Signs of termite damage
If termites start to snack on your home's joists or subfloor, you might notice sagging floors — or hear them creak more than usual as you walk on them. Similarly, termites eating away at wall studs and ceiling beams could cause the ceilings and walls to buckle.
Given the complexity of subfloor repairs, you should really stick with a carpenter for this project. But if you want to install a new subfloor or underlayment over sound floor joists, hire a local flooring contractor for this step.
Subfloor mold often shows up as dark spots or patches under your floors. You might find it under carpets, vinyl, or laminate. The mold can look like black, green, or white marks on plywood or OSB, which are common in homes since the 1950s. A musty smell is a sign of subfloor mold.
While it may seem tempting to replace the subfloor from underneath if your home has access from the basement to this area, it should always be replaced from the top.
Detecting Rotten Floorboards:
Here are some signs that indicate potential rot: Soft or Spongy Spots: Walk across your floor and take note of any areas that feel soft or spongy underfoot. These spots are likely caused by water infiltration and may indicate rot.
The most obvious is a spongy feel or “give” to the affected area. Other signs of water damage include warping in the floorboards of your hardwood floors, loose sections in your tile floor, bubbling or peeling in linoleum, lifting in your laminate flooring, or a musty smell that could indicate mold growth.
You can check this quickly using a pinless moisture meter. The subfloor materials should be within 2%–4% moisture content of the floor. If they aren't, allow them to acclimate until they're within that range.
For an average-sized room of 300 square feet, expect to spend about $900 to $3,000 on the cost to replace subfloors, or $3 to $10 per square foot. Most homeowners spend about an average of $1,560.
Once dry rot occurs, it can quickly spread to nearby wooden structures, causing further damage and increasing your repair costs within a surprisingly short period.
Does homeowners insurance cover carpet and floor damage? Home and condo insurance typically covers floors and carpet if the damage was caused by a covered peril.
If your floors begin to feel spongy, springy or bouncy, or if you notice the floorboards around you shifting when you walk on them, it could mean that it's time to replace your subfloor.
Can wet wood rot be repaired or treated? Wet rot is often less damaging than dry rot. Typically, when you eliminate the source of moisture, the rot stops spreading. Once the moisture is eliminated, applying a fungicide like borax will help ward off fute wet or dry rot.
In most cases, damaged subflooring doesn't need to be replaced. However, in the event of extensive water damage from flooding or extended periods of exposure to moisture, damaged sections may need to be removed to avoid mold and ensure structural integrity.
Causes of Bouncy Floors in Your Home
Over Spanned Joists: Joists supporting floors above crawl spaces may be spaced too far apart or be too long, causing excess flexing. Inadequate Support: Insufficient support structures like poorly installed or shifted posts and beams can lead to bouncy floors.
The subfloor is typically made of plywood or OSB, ranging from 19/32 inches to 1-1/8 inches thick. Subfloor plywood or OSB sheets typically have tongue-and-groove edges to reduce floor sagging and bounce. If the bottom-most floor is a concrete slab, its definition as a subfloor becomes more fluid.