legenddc Posted March 1, 2022 Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 After ripping out our baseboard and flooring I noticed there's a gap in a couple of the rooms between the subfloor and the shared walls of our townhouse. On the exterior walls the subfloor butts up (or maybe goes under) the sole plate for the stud walls. Is there a reason to be concerned or something I should do to fix these gaps? I'm assuming they're not structural since the house seems fine and is still standing after 50 years. Once the flooring is in the baseboards are up it will never be seen but I can't help and wonder if I shouldn't fill the gaps with spray foam. Also, while I'm asking questions, any tips on filling gouges in the subfloor? At some point a few different spots got damaged. Not sure if I should fill them with putty or something and sand them flat before the luxury vinyl tile gets installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted March 1, 2022 Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 The floor joists probably shrank some. Assuming they are supported on the ends, everything should be fine. Spray foam would be good if there is air infiltration there. Use the low expanding stuff. Too easy to make a mess with high expansion foam. If you have anything on hand that you can spread easily, that sets up fairly hard, it should be fine to fill any big gouges. Small gouges shouldn't matter. I wouldn't bother to sand them. Just screed them fairly flat with a scrap board, or putty knife. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted March 2, 2022 Report Share Posted March 2, 2022 I also thought about asking if that gap is only in the middle of the joist span, and not at the ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legenddc Posted March 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2022 It seems like one side of the house has/had mortar between the block and subfloor but some pieces have crumbled away. On the other side there’s only one room I can see but it seems a consistent gap. Will pick up the low expanding foam tomorrow and something to patch any issues in the floor. Maybe some of the Durham’s Rock Hard. Thanks for all the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted March 2, 2022 Report Share Posted March 2, 2022 I would fill it since your in there anyway. Our building code here would require as a firestop. I think this is new requirement, I found out while finishing my basement a couple of years ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legenddc Posted March 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2022 I was thinking the same thing. In theory the baseboard should trap it but for $10 in foam and some crawling around I might as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted March 2, 2022 Report Share Posted March 2, 2022 A town house might have a gap to reduce noise transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spleksi Posted May 20, 2022 Report Share Posted May 20, 2022 Thanks for the advice in this thread. There is a similar problem in my house now I don’t know how to solve it myself. I have never been really good at construction work, and when I started to build my own house, I was very unsure of my own abilities. This was probably true because despite having a good house plan from https://www.boutiquehomeplans.com/the-process, I managed to do something wrong, and now I am worried that the house will not be good. Some of the walls do not match, and I am afraid that they will just fall apart. I tried to do something about it myself, but I have made it only worse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legenddc Posted May 20, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2022 I ended up filling in the gaps with spray foam and haven't had any issues. I think TpT life was right that it was left intentionally to reduce noise transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prefixla Posted June 6, 2022 Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 If filling the gasps work well? My friend faced a similar problem at his new house. I told him not to use the popular today's house exchange services because of the risks, but he didn't listen to me. Even the latest news about the possibility of the real estate market collapse didn't stop him from making this mistake. Can you provide a full guide on how you fixed your problem with floors in more detail? Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you for your reply in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urinationofthereast Posted September 5, 2022 Report Share Posted September 5, 2022 (edited) The 1-3" gaps in the horizontal 2x4s you illustrated aren't a significant problem. Still, I could be concerned about some wall movement leading to plaster cracks. Simply cut some 2x4s to the proper length, place them against the vertical stud in the space between the horizontals, and they will hold the end of the 2x4 that does not contact the vertical stud. It doesn't matter at all what angle the studs are at the stairs; it's just shoddy framing and won't ever cause a problem. [link removed] Edited September 5, 2022 by wtnhighlander Disallowed link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sylviecrumbley Posted September 6, 2022 Report Share Posted September 6, 2022 (edited) If you think this crack under the baseboard could become a hazard to future tenants, then you need to fix the problem. But it's not a big deal if this gap is just visible when you open up the baseboards. If the crack was caused by moisture, landslides, or an earthquake, then the crack will cause major cracks in the floor or walls nearby. When I sold my house to I told them about all the problems. Also, I let them thoroughly examine my entire house so they could give a true value. Honestly, I didn't expect they'd be willing to pay that much for my house. But they talked about how well it was built, what solid walls it had, and what a good location it had. I'm glad I contacted them. If you sell a house with that crack, just ask prospective buyers about it or deal with it yourself. Edited September 6, 2022 by Chet Disallowed link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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