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Replace tongue and groove boards in the floor per room?
Hello!
I have a single-story house with a basement built in 1965. After moving in, we discovered significant issues with creaking pipes since the previous owner switched the heating system to geothermal energy. The creaking is quite extreme and lasts for several minutes both when the pump starts distributing new hot water to the radiators and when the heat pump shuts off. Therefore, installing expansion tanks seems pointless.
The remaining alternative, as far as I know, is to break up the floor and free the pipes to eliminate the creaking. Since we're renovating anyway, this alternative doesn't seem too bad.
My question is, since the plan is to renovate room by room (in order: first 3 bedrooms, then the hallway, living room, and kitchen at the same time, and lastly, further in the future, the two bathrooms), is it possible to break up the subfloor room by room? The subfloor was laid before the interior walls were put in place.
Since the subfloor creaks in some places when walked on, it seems unwise to install the same type of subfloor again. Is chipboard the way to go? Should I leave the subfloor that I can't reach (under interior walls and built-in wardrobes)?
Should I take the opportunity to do anything else when tearing up the floor? Insulate?
Grateful for all thoughts and ideas. I want to get a good understanding of what needs to be done, in what order, and other things I should consider doing in connection with this.
Edit:
I was lying in bed and tried a decibel meter app on my phone. For 2 minutes, it creaks with one-second intervals at 34-35 decibels. However, it starts off sounding more like a machine gun with many creaks per second. During the day, it's not overly disturbing, but it's impossible not to wake up at night and stay awake long enough for it to be difficult to fall back asleep. It creaks like this at least once an hour (estimated, I haven't taken notes). And then there are some spontaneous creaks almost all the time.
I have a single-story house with a basement built in 1965. After moving in, we discovered significant issues with creaking pipes since the previous owner switched the heating system to geothermal energy. The creaking is quite extreme and lasts for several minutes both when the pump starts distributing new hot water to the radiators and when the heat pump shuts off. Therefore, installing expansion tanks seems pointless.
The remaining alternative, as far as I know, is to break up the floor and free the pipes to eliminate the creaking. Since we're renovating anyway, this alternative doesn't seem too bad.
My question is, since the plan is to renovate room by room (in order: first 3 bedrooms, then the hallway, living room, and kitchen at the same time, and lastly, further in the future, the two bathrooms), is it possible to break up the subfloor room by room? The subfloor was laid before the interior walls were put in place.
Since the subfloor creaks in some places when walked on, it seems unwise to install the same type of subfloor again. Is chipboard the way to go? Should I leave the subfloor that I can't reach (under interior walls and built-in wardrobes)?
Should I take the opportunity to do anything else when tearing up the floor? Insulate?
Grateful for all thoughts and ideas. I want to get a good understanding of what needs to be done, in what order, and other things I should consider doing in connection with this.
Edit:
I was lying in bed and tried a decibel meter app on my phone. For 2 minutes, it creaks with one-second intervals at 34-35 decibels. However, it starts off sounding more like a machine gun with many creaks per second. During the day, it's not overly disturbing, but it's impossible not to wake up at night and stay awake long enough for it to be difficult to fall back asleep. It creaks like this at least once an hour (estimated, I haven't taken notes). And then there are some spontaneous creaks almost all the time.
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How do the pipes run in the floor structure? It's probably at the points where they pass through wood that the creaking comes from, lying and rubbing against it. As you say, it's when the heat pump stops making hot water that a splash of hot water comes because the diverter valve is quick to switch over from hot water to the system. When the heat pump turns off, it can cause a pressure surge that moves through the pipes and causes it. That part might be fixable with a hose between the heat pump and the system.
Thank you for your response.
The problem for me is not just when the heat pump switches over from DHW. It's also when the heat pump finishes heating the radiators and turns off, i.e., when the pipes start cooling down again. A buffer tank might solve the problem that arises when the heat pump switches from DHW production. But the pipes will always cool down. The problems are (of course) greatest in spring and fall when the heat pump heats for a while and then goes into standby mode. The pipes heat up and cool down almost continuously.
The floor is really stuck to the pipe risers in a few places. I could start by trying to do something about it. Any suggestions on how to go about filing or sawing off to free up the pipes? I can't think of a way where there's no risk of damaging the pipes.
The problem for me is not just when the heat pump switches over from DHW. It's also when the heat pump finishes heating the radiators and turns off, i.e., when the pipes start cooling down again. A buffer tank might solve the problem that arises when the heat pump switches from DHW production. But the pipes will always cool down. The problems are (of course) greatest in spring and fall when the heat pump heats for a while and then goes into standby mode. The pipes heat up and cool down almost continuously.
The floor is really stuck to the pipe risers in a few places. I could start by trying to do something about it. Any suggestions on how to go about filing or sawing off to free up the pipes? I can't think of a way where there's no risk of damaging the pipes.
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