I have an old house, with a full finished basement. The kitchen floor (above) the basement is very uneven, actually has a large hump in the middle of the floor. The kitchen floor is not cracked that I can tell. I'm certain this hump has been there for years and years. It's a great conversation starter, however it is a real problem. Can a problem with the basement be causing this? Where should I look in the basement to find what is causing this? The ceiling in the basement is finished. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated..... Thanks, Debbie

 

My best guess would be settlement of the foundation. If you could see where the rise is in relation to a beam that would confirm it. I have the same thing in an old house I am renting...on the driveway side there are a few wide gaps in- between the cinderblocks, and on the outside you notice at least a 6 inch buckle corresponding to that.
How to fix yours? Depends on the nature and extent of settlement. If your foundation has settled in a "differential" fashion, i.e., cracks that go completely through where some spots have settled more than others it may take a strucutral engineer to properly assess. Some folks have taken hydraulic jacks to the structure in order to reinforce the footer (which also requires excavation). As you would guess, such a process is not cheap, costing in the 10s of thousands.
But....you may not have that - perhaps someone can come in and take a look. I'd be interested in the cause myself.