Firming Up Suspended Floor

The first and second floors in our house seem overly bouncy and sag toward the middle.

Firming up suspended floor.

No one likes the feel of a supposedly solid floor bouncing or sagging underfoot. A springy or spongy feeling could indicate a minor issue a major problem or. It was a complex expensive job. All you need to know.

This project is about levelling old timber floors repairing and replacing timber joists. Determine the height of the false floor in relation to the bottom step of the basement stairs. The floor can be formed in various ways using timber joists precast concrete panels block and beam system or cast in situ with reinforced concrete. How to insulate suspended timber floors.

Well that s a seriously big job ticked off for two rooms. There are a few ways to insulate a suspended floor but the best most breathable way is to hang insulation under the floorboards. This insulates the floor but still allows some air to circulate preventing the timber from getting damp and rotting. Years ago while working as a carpenter i helped stiffen a bouncy floor by nailing a new 2 10 to each of the 2 10 joists that supported the floor.

How can we evaluate whether the floors need reinforcement and if so what is the best way to do this. We show you how to lay floor boards over the leveled joists how to cut the floor boards to the right shape and how to use a chalk line. Bouncy floors are one of the most vexing problems faced in houses both new and old. The original plan was for builders to take up the all the floor boards of the living and dining room hoist up the joists re build the internal leaves of brick work and re secure the full timber floor but with it being the type of back breaking work most builders now avoid or charge the earth for it s been preventing downstairs.

Ultimately you will have a level floor with well fitted boards. For example two by four sleepers and floor joists installed flat and covered with plywood raise. A suspended floor is a ground floor with a void underneath the structure. How to fix springy and spongy floors.