"CompleteNewb" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry, the pictures were not working, and I fixed them; here's the
original post, w/ corrected pics:


We tore up our carpet and padding, and in looking under the big cold air
return grate, I noticed that we have two floors; not just 2 hardwood
floors, I'm talking hardwood, then the wood subfloor, then joists, then
under THAT is another "subfloor," or what is the ceiling in the basement,
then more joists under that.

(snip)
My best guess, without an actual site survey, is that that way back when,
the house had foundation problems and settled, leaving 'lumpy' or sloping
floors. They faked it by overlaying another floor system, shimming as needed
to present a level finish floor. Have you checked the bottom of the joists
in the basement for level? Might not be apparent within a few feet, may need
to use a laser or water level to check from wall to wall, wall to centerline
beam, sags in the middle of long spans, etc. Another clue may be to pull
the casing off some of the upper floor doors, and see if the header has been
cut down, or the door opening otherwise altered. Usually pretty obvious if
the doors are six inches shorter than normal. On an old house, hopefully the
settling has stabilized, and it won't move any more, but just for grins, you
may wanna have an engineer do an overall checkup before you sink any serious
money in fixing up the place. I take it you didn't get an inspection before
buying? Something like this should have jumped right out to a competent
inspector.

And yes, the others are right- first preference is to refinish the existing
wood floors. Probably be cheaper, and definitely have more character and
appropriateness for the house, than anything you can buy now.

aem sends....