We wnat to tile our kitchen, but the floor is uneven (not all the joists were crown up), and has a lot of bounce in it( minimum sized joists were used). What is the best way to beef up the joists? Should I use engineered I-beams or just sister another 2x to the existing joists? what is the best way to lelvel the floor? Should I remove the worst sagging/crowning joists? They are constructed with the joist on top of the main carrying beam, no joist hangers were used.

Dear PSNO,
The first thing I would look at is the use of adjustable joists, placed in the areas of uneveness. Jack up the floor in those spots and snap a line across the floor. Meaning, go to the highest corner of the room, place a nail in the floor and tie a string to it. Go to the highest corner, pull the string tight and move the string across the floor. Mark the low spots. You can either leave the joist jacks in place or add repair strips to the joists to strengthen them. But by all means, before you add any lumber, jack up the floor to eveness. I am not an expert in this field, but have dealt with this problem in the past and this is one avenueI've seen a contractor do to alleviate the problem. It worked. Get back to me.
Len

[This message has been edited by Iceman (edited December 17, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Iceman (edited December 17, 2001).]

Do you mean linoleum tile or ceramic tile? It makes a big difference in the requirements for the floor.