floor boards

[BrokenBiker]

need advice from anyone that builds or refurbs houses.

I need to replace the floorboards on my landing as they creak quite badly and none of them are at an even height anymore.

thing I need to know is, are they tongue and groove or not?

the house is atleast 40 years old, but I have no idea if any of the boards have been replaced before. they all match each other though.

house was built by west Bromwich homes if that helps

 

[madkayaker]

so your saying your a sparkey that doesn't know what a tongue and groove floor board looks like?

 

[Shedendman]

Simple,slide a playing card or old credit card or normal eating knife etc between the joins,if it doesn't go through it easy enough its T&G

 

[BrokenBiker]

so your saying your a sparkey that doesn't know what a tongue and groove floor board looks like?

believe it or not I have never dealt with them.

I don't usually lift the boards myself, I employ my brother for that (cos im a lazy sod) he is a furniture removals guy and my general labourer so he does all the heavy work and floor board lifting, I do the wiring and he lays it all again lol

plus to be honest I have only glanced at them, and my guess would be no, but I thought best to ask as its not my house and the landlord hasn't got a clue

 

[Shedendman]

Normal T&G flooring ie boards should be nailed with just one nail along the joists this is done on the tongue side,if theres 2 nails in each board as you look at it its not T&G..........or you could get your bro round to look at it

 

[Robotstar5]

Get your brother to sort it, you can be the labourer for a change

 

[BrokenBiker]

just got the carpet up and its not t and g, and a lot of nails missing. lifted on that had no nails at all.

is it worth replacing them or just nailing them all down secure to see if that stops the squeaking and levels them out?

 

[ford34/2]

40 Years old, almose 99% T & G flooring, upstairs 41/2" cover, downstairs 51/2" cover, possibly 7/8" thick, if not old 3/4" .
Consider lifting the carpets and putting wood screws in, or punch in the existing nails, if they have been lifted for plumbing or electrical work they could be in any state.

Stan


OOPs wrong again-- quite surprised

consider screwing them, much easier for future maintenance,

 

[fixerupper]

Screw em' down , if you want to stop them squeaking .... jeff...

 

[Robotstar5]

I had the same problem with some on the landing, a few screws sorted the problem.

 

[brightspark]

take them up 1st and see whats underneath if they have allready been up .they may be water pipes underneath EVEN CABLES that have just been notched in instead of been drilled center of the beams . u wouldnt want to screw in to them would u

 

[BrokenBiker]

take them up 1st and see whats underneath if they have allready been up .they may be water pipes underneath EVEN CABLES that have just been notched in instead of been drilled center of the beams . u wouldnt want to screw in to them would u

good thinking that man. there are pipes under there leading to the bathroom, not sure about cable, probably would be though as its between kitchen and living room lights so I would assume cable is run for those.

will have a look tomorrow and go from there. got plenty of screws so will give that a try first. only doing it cos the dog keeps waking the baby during the night and the landlord doesn't see anything wrong with the boards so wont do it themselves

 

[pedrobedro]

Floorboards in out front room were 6" wide by 1" thick. The floor looked like the cruel sea under the carpet when I took them up and I screwed 19mm OSB in place of them. If yours are not T&G it's probably because they have been taken up before by someone using a bolster to break the tongues like your brother probably does when you are not looking.

 

[norlander]

take them up 1st and see whats underneath if they have allready been up .they may be water pipes underneath EVEN CABLES that have just been notched in instead of been drilled center of the beams . u wouldnt want to screw in to them would u

+1 I started drilling and screwing creaky boards in a mates house and found that the central heating pipework was right below the boards-the "plumber" had just cut a notch in the top of joists as the man has described and the pipes were right below the the boards.
Five minute job becomes 2hours -most unusual for me

 

[tlovatt]

+1 I started drilling and screwing creaky boards in a mates house and found that the central heating pipework was right below the boards-the "plumber" had just cut a notch in the top of joists as the man has described and the pipes were right below the the boards.
Five minute job becomes 2hours -most unusual for me

Where else would you expect to find a pipe, they can not be run through the center of the beams and you do not want them cutting big notches in. If you find cables just below the floorboards thats generally wrong, but its normal and acceptable to find pipes there.

 

[desmo11225]

Creaky Floor Boards

Hello Brokenbiker
Get your carpenter Brother to supervise,easiest option, 40/50 year old h0use maybe metric or imperial thickness, check.
Think about using chipboard floor boards wider and will bridge the gaps in the beams, chipboard was critised by carpenters when it first came on the scene but is now used extensively, screw or nail straps to the beams to strengthen them especially if they are well hacked about by plumbers/electicians.
Can be a potchy job as in my house.
desmo11225

 

[brightspark]

ifu have to notch floorboards these are the things to use to comply with regs http://www.screwfix.com/p/protecta-galvanised-safe-plate-pack-of-20/30038

 

[ford34/2]

Joist info

Whilst the thread has gone off topic, Joist info::

Stan

 

[anjum]

Just watch out for pipes and wiring that someone may have put in the wrong place.