We have taken down a brick wall and are now faced with how to "fill the gap" between the wooden floors. In one part (where there was previously a door), the wooden beam is exposed with tar paper on it, and on the other part, it is built with mortar on top of the beam. Should we remove the mortar and screw the new crosswise floorboard directly into the beam, or should we build over the beam (level with the other) and screw the floorboard into the mortar? Will it hold? Or is there another way to solve this?
Is it an old house? How big is the level difference from the floor down to the beam and the mortar respectively? What is under the floor, a warm or cold space, i.e. basement, foundation, slab, or living space?
If it's the same beam running under the former doorway and beneath the mortar, I would remove the mortar and use board or battens so the new plank is at the right height. If it's a cold space underneath, it might be sensible to weatherproof and insulate as much as possible. I had exactly that situation in our kitchen before, where it was "hurricane" force winds blowing from the cold basement under the kitchen.
If it's the same beam running under the former doorway and beneath the mortar, I would remove the mortar and use board or battens so the new plank is at the right height. If it's a cold space underneath, it might be sensible to weatherproof and insulate as much as possible. I had exactly that situation in our kitchen before, where it was "hurricane" force winds blowing from the cold basement under the kitchen.
The house was built in 1943 and it has a crawl space underneath (=cold). So, I guess it will be about insulating as well as possible. Is it OK to screw the battens through the tar paper and into the wooden beam? I won't damage the moisture barrier that way?