As part of a construction project this former sunken living room was raised to gain an even floor.Photo by Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star 2013

Q: We have a sunken family room that was built about 4 inches lower than the rest of the house. For various reasons, we’d like to bring it up to the level of the other floors. Can you give us some advice on doing this job?

A:Β Homeowners often ask me if they can put new floor joists down and build a new wooden floor. That may work, but adding all that wood is very conducive to attracting termites. The right way to do the job is by pouring in high-slump fresh concrete to fill the area to the level of the rest of your flooring. It could be somewhat uncomfortable to do this as your house will feel like a cold sauna for about a week. You’ll have to open all the windows to let the moisture escape while the concrete is curing.

For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.


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