Floorboards

[andrewm]

The floorboards along my landing have been up and down like the proverbial. They are now somewhat uneven and cut into short lengths in places so I have taken the decision that while decorating the whole area now would be a good time to replace them, principally so that the new carpet will go down evenly.

There is wiring down the centre to which I would like to retain access. My first thought was to use plain boards but I am concerned that this may lead to squeaking boards. What I am therefore considering is either to use tongue and groove with the tongue/groove removed from the centre board or to machine the centre board and the one either since with a rebate so that the centre board sits between the other two but can still be lifted.

Is this a valid idea or is there some better way that I have not thought about?

Andrew

 

[markymark12]

Hi

May i ask why, you do not run a belt sander over the top and hardboard it?, saves a lot work.

 

[andrewm]

Hi

May i ask why, you do not run a belt sander over the top and hardboard it?, saves a lot work.

Apart from 'I don't have a belt sander' although I am always on the lookout for reason to buy more tools many of the boards have been cut to facilitate installation of central heating and wiring and so do not fit particularly well as it is. Replacing the lot just seemed to make more sense since I am doing just about everything else in the area.

Andrew

 

[OLD]

Plain board screwed down over services should do the job you may have to have them planed to thickness for a smooth surface as the originals will have shrunk.

 

[andrewm]

Plain board screwed down over services should do the job you may have to have them planed to thickness for a smooth surface as the originals will have shrunk.

Thanks. No problem with thickness as I have a planer/thicknesser.

Andrew

 

[Big Fat Pig]

At Last ! I might be able to post something that may be of use to someone .
I have done the same thing in my 100 yr old house. Old board replaced with new, screwed down for later access and covered with hardboard for a nice flat surface.
Hunky dory so far !
What i didn`t do was to use properly seasoned wood for the new boards and the bloody things shrank like a penguins winkie.Thanks to the c/h pipes underneath they went from 6" wide to 5" wide in short order and even with hardboard over the top, you can still feel the hollows.

Having said this might be of some use, i bet you`re all saying `of course you should use seasoned wood, that`s bleedin obvious`

So it might not be so useful after all.

And i`ve made myself look thick.

I wish you could get qualifications in thickness, i`d be a genius.



Piggy

 

[markymark12]

Myself

If i were to replace them i would use some good reclaimed boards if you can.

I have laid my fair share of floorboards over years and if you can be sure of anything, if you use kilned softwood from any merchant it will shrink big time.

Forget about letting it acclimatize, it will cup badly, take forever, and still shrink.

T&g was originally intended for suspended ground floors to stop draughts after shrinkage, or nailing on more decorative timbers. I would avoid it for 1st floors it just makes it harder work should you need to get it back up.

A good tip for, lay the crown of the board down and fix well.

Hope you get it sorted. Mark

 

[Digit]

I have to agree with everything Mark suggested. T&Gs won't stop cupping and they are more likely to squeak than plain boards, plain boards also work out cheaper.

Roy.

 

[DarrenW]

Oh No..... Seeds of doubt seriously planted! :shock:

I live in a Victorian Terraced. The dinning room floor is bare boards sanded and exposed. Quite a few need replacing as they don't look there best and some are cracked/damaged. Also one of the joists has some 'movement' in it and so some of the floor needs to come up anyway. I was planning on replacing them with T&Q softwood.

The other thing is that its 'sub floor' (board on joists) and there are air bricks at the front and back of the house. Obviously the boards have nice gaps in between..... and in weather like we are having now the cold drafts add a significant chill.

The Wife wants to keep the wood floor, so to me seemed a simple case of replacing old boards with T&G boards to stop the drafts. I don't really want to go down the 'gap filling' route.... I think replacing the boards will look better.

Also T&G Softwood is significantly cheaper than a hardwood alternative.

Is T&G softwood flooring really that bad?

Or is it possible to lay plain boards (will these be more stable??) but placing some kind of 'underlay' (thin ply?) between joists and boards to stop the drafts?

Any further thoughts advice would be much appreciated!

Cheers

Darren

 

[Digit]

Good grief no! Before T&G all floor boards were plain, the T&G was introduced to prevent drafts from the then common suspended floors. If the boards shrunk the T&G continued to keep the floor reasonably draught proof.
Upstairs of course in a modern CH home plain boards are fine, but down stairs T&G have still got to be the best option, whether hard or soft wood.

Roy.

 

[steve tighe]

Give Timbmet up in Oxfordshire a bell & see if you can still get double kilned softwood off them in the sizes you want Darren.

 

[DarrenW]

Thanks!

I'll give Timbmet a call. I was just going to pop down the local Arnold Laver, but the more quotes the better.

Cheers

Darren

 

[markymark12]

Hi Darren

I would still go for square edge just because it is such a pain to lift t&g afterwards if you need to.

If you have a suspended ground floor you can insulate between which would stop the draughts give you the added benefit of the insulation as well.There are various ways of doing it. Netting below mineral wool above. celotex cut between on batterns. If you check kingspans website. Then chose want works best for you.

Make sure if you do lay a new floor the timber is dry, invest in a meter and check it. Then stick it and weight it in the rooms. And lay it with cramps. Chances are that if it is new material you are working with it will still shrink. I know i had it happen so many times.

Don't forget crowns down which stops the centre of the boards rising.

Good luck let us know how you get on.

Mark

 

[DarrenW]

Hi Mark,

The only things running under the floor are a couple of lecky wires and a gas pipe - no water pipes - so doubt I would need to lift the floor again in the future (famous last words ).

So your saying that stuffing standard loft insulation between the joints (netting stops it falling through) is an option. Sounds like a good idea. What about air flow to the joists or am I worrying too much (probably). I suppose after 100 years they should be fairly dry by now , but by insulating is there a risk of condensation?

Thanks again

Darren

 

[markymark12]

Hi

As long as you have good ventilation through the crawl space then you will be fine, if it is no well ventilated then put in some air bricks back and front, poor ventilation is almost always the cause of problems.

You can use loft insulation, but it is a better with celotex/type, kingspans version i always find a lot cheaper,

If you go with the wool then try not to stuff it as you put it, cut correctly so as no the squash it all up.

Have fun Mark

 

[DarrenW]

Thanks Mark

Cheers

Darren

 

[George_N]

Andrew, this will probably be regarded as complete heresy but if you are covering with fitted carpet why not use chipboard flooring. It will be very flat and stable and if it is permanently under carpet , who will know or care (except you, of course).

 

[andrewm]

Andrew, this will probably be regarded as complete heresy but if you are covering with fitted carpet why not use chipboard flooring. It will be very flat and stable and if it is permanently under carpet , who will know or care (except you, of course).

I did consider chipboard so it's not that heretical (The house was built in the late 40s so there is no specific requirement to retain original features) but chipboard seems to come tongue and grooved and I would like to keep reasonably easy access to the wiring underneath since pretty much all the wiring in the house runs through there. ~Using floorboards will also mean that I can fit around existing boards that have not been damaged rather than having to cut them all back. At least that is the way I see it.

Andrew

 

[RogerS]

Andrew, this will probably be regarded as complete heresy but if you are covering with fitted carpet why not use chipboard flooring. It will be very flat and stable and if it is permanently under carpet , who will know or care (except you, of course).

.........Using floorboards will also mean that I can fit around existing boards that have not been damaged rather than having to cut them all back. At least that is the way I see it.

Andrew

Andrew

Why faff around? By the time you've fiddled around cutting, offering up, trimming, re-offering up, re-trimming, re-re-offering up and fixing, you could have redone the whole house using chipboard! If you want to keep access then why not take some offcuts from your existing floorboards and screw them up underneath the chipboard on either side of where you want the access. Then lay your access piece of chipboard down on top of these floorboards which will (a) support the chipboard access panel and (b) ket you screw the access panel down?

 

[George_N]

The Trend Routabout Jig would also make quick (nad neat) work of access hatches in chipboard flooring.