Hello!
We live in a 1940s house and have long been annoyed by the floors. You can feel and almost see the tongue and groove wooden planks underneath the flooring, sticking out like pick-up sticks. Okay, that was a bit exaggerated but there are clear ridges and valleys.
So this weekend I rolled up my sleeves and tore up the old floor in one of the rooms to replace it with flat and nice chipboard flooring. In my mind, it would be a piece of cake; just glue and screw and a new floor in no time.
But it didn't turn out that way...
The problem now is that when I put the level between the floor joists, it often slopes. It doesn't slope between all the joists, only between some. The worst slope is 5 mm over a distance of 600 mm!
When you place the level along the joists, many are horizontal and fine, but many slope and others slope like a banana, that is, they slope for the first meter or so and then level out.
One joist is also slightly twisted.
I can see that there's been an attempt to fix it by nailing Masonite to the joists. Surely that can't be good enough to glue and screw chipboard flooring to? Moreover, it creates small thresholds when going from no Masonite to one piece, and from one piece to two pieces, etc...
So the question is: What do I do about it?
We live in a 1940s house and have long been annoyed by the floors. You can feel and almost see the tongue and groove wooden planks underneath the flooring, sticking out like pick-up sticks. Okay, that was a bit exaggerated but there are clear ridges and valleys.
So this weekend I rolled up my sleeves and tore up the old floor in one of the rooms to replace it with flat and nice chipboard flooring. In my mind, it would be a piece of cake; just glue and screw and a new floor in no time.
But it didn't turn out that way...
The problem now is that when I put the level between the floor joists, it often slopes. It doesn't slope between all the joists, only between some. The worst slope is 5 mm over a distance of 600 mm!
When you place the level along the joists, many are horizontal and fine, but many slope and others slope like a banana, that is, they slope for the first meter or so and then level out.
One joist is also slightly twisted.
I can see that there's been an attempt to fix it by nailing Masonite to the joists. Surely that can't be good enough to glue and screw chipboard flooring to? Moreover, it creates small thresholds when going from no Masonite to one piece, and from one piece to two pieces, etc...
So the question is: What do I do about it?
I recognize that, with a house from 1920.....What you can do is screw new joists onto the sides of the existing ones. Then it will be straight and nice. Buy joists in 45xappropriate height, find the highest point and start from there, then you should be able to get straight and nice floors.
That's really smart.
I was so set on getting the advice to saw endless narrow four-meter wedges and nail them onto the studs. I really wasn't looking forward to that.
But screw new studs onto the sides, why not? Now I have an excellent reason to "invest" in a miter saw too!
Member
· Västerbottens län
· 18 059 posts
You might be able to use the boards you just broke up (that's what frugal I did) and screw on the side.
Protte
Protte
Good idea, but there's not much to screw and glue into. The old boards are only about 27.
Member
· Västerbottens län
· 18 059 posts
That's enough. Mark clearly on the chipboard where the middle of the board is.
Protte
Protte
Check the insulation, electricity, sewage, and add in a few extras while you're at it!
Thanks for the tip. I had no idea about that.
Absolutely! The particle insulation in the floor is tossed up in the attic where it's more useful, and the bales of fiberglass are parked in the living room waiting to be placed in the floor.
The plumber is coming on Thursday to temporarily remove the radiator and reroute some heating pipes that are in a bad spot. The electrician will also take a look before the floor is closed up again. Currently, the entire upper floor is on a single 6-amp fuse. The plan is to divide the floor into several 10-amp fuses.
Nogging will be placed along the room's edges so that the floor edges have something to rest on.
Other surprises that popped up over the weekend included a charred interior wall. Apparently, remnants of a fire from 50 years ago. It's so charred that you can stick a knife right through it. Since the wall material was removed and the wall was exposed, the upcoming boys' room now smells like a house fire. The plan is to tear down and rebuild the interior wall.
Unfortunately, the outer walls in the room are also scorched from the fire, but thankfully they're only scorched and not charred. I'm considering trying to coarsely sand them to remove the smell. The discoloration is very superficial. If you scratch lightly, you can see fresh wood.
Oddly enough, it didn't smell like fire before I started tearing down.
Sorry if it got a bit off-topic at the end.
Having an old house is a bit like Christmas: you never know what you'll find when you open and take a look
Now you're informed! Easy to forget though, so it's good to be reminded.
Regarding the burnt parts, there is a lacquer you can apply that stops the smell.
Perhaps not for the charred parts, but for other areas.
Sanding can make it start to smell more...
Regarding the burnt parts, there is a lacquer you can apply that stops the smell.
Perhaps not for the charred parts, but for other areas.
Sanding can make it start to smell more...
Now that you mention it, yes, I've probably heard something about a paint that removes odor. The knee-jerk reaction is otherwise to grind away...
I have two follow-up questions.
- Is it enough to screw and glue new beams on one side of an old beam, or do you attach them on both sides to achieve balance?
- What function do the following wooden details serve (see red marking in image). Can they be removed?
1. On one side. But should go to the very bottom, preferably the bottom of the old ones.
2. Don't know about the short ones, maybe something for when they were built. The long ones are short! Might be called something else when they are placed like that, but they at least distribute the force.
2. Don't know about the short ones, maybe something for when they were built. The long ones are short! Might be called something else when they are placed like that, but they at least distribute the force.
Do NOT remove the cross braces. They provide support for the floor. You can make notches in the new floor joists for these.
I have no idea what the small blocks could have been for. Probably some old spacer. Remove them!
It's enough to screw and glue one side.
Sorry for the repetition Zeus_axel. You were a bit faster
I have no idea what the small blocks could have been for. Probably some old spacer. Remove them!
It's enough to screw and glue one side.
Sorry for the repetition Zeus_axel. You were a bit faster
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I suspected it would be foolish to remove the braces, but don't worry, they're still there
For something that's supposed to provide stability to the floor, they look so incredibly flimsy in comparison. Everything else in the 1940s house is sturdy and solid stuff.
For something that's supposed to provide stability to the floor, they look so incredibly flimsy in comparison. Everything else in the 1940s house is sturdy and solid stuff.