Timber floor structure - how to level

[Tomas_P]

Hello,

I'm going to renovate the upstairs of the cabin and will tear up the floors to shovel out shavings, level the joists, and then lay solid wood flooring.

The joists are made of timber, and they have done no more than create flat surfaces for the floor and ceiling, so the sides are curved!

What do the experts recommend for leveling it?

a) Plane flat sides and then glue/screw 45*145 on the sides

b) Place a 45*xx flat on the joists and then spend the coming years supporting and leveling it?

c) Plane everything evenly and be left by the wife?

Anyone have a good idea?

 

[SBH]

why do you want it smooth?

 

[larsbj]

I usually follow option b if it's not a problem that it builds upwards, lay a 70x34 flat and support with 40-50cm spacing.
It's not so time-consuming, maybe a few hours per room.

 

[SBH]

When I think of a cabin, I think of low ceilings. Therefore, I wonder, do you have to have it flat?

 

[Tomas_P]

why do you want it smooth?

The floor is very wavy today and of course, I want a straight and nice floor.

 

[larsbj]

I agree it can possibly be charming with curvy walls and sloping ceilings, but floors should be flat.

 

[Tomas_P]

34*70 feels like an alternative.

Do you then place them horizontally at the ends and then cut fitting pieces in between?

The ceiling height is quite low, but I can afford to fix it.

 

[gafsan]

We have made some new floors in old houses, and then the floors became "straight." This then emphasized the rest of the crookedness in the room, so be prepared for some funny optical effects if your walls are a bit slanted and the ceiling height varies.

 

[daugaard]

Don't know how it is in your case, but sometimes you can frame new floor joists between the logs, then it's framed up to the same level as the highest point of the old floor joists. And you almost lose no ceiling height.

 

[SBH]

do you have laser? you can lay new ones in the other direction.

 

[Tomas_P]

I will also frame new walls and install a new ceiling, so hopefully, it turns out great. I've already done one room, but back then, which I bitterly regret today, I laid floor gypsum on the existing floor and then the wooden floor, which apart from adding height, was classically bad. The floor looks like a sine wave.

daugaard-->
I've thought about that too, if you mean laying them parallel to the old joists? But then you'd almost have to cut out new pockets in the walls and push them in, right?

 

[Tomas_P]

har du laser? du kan lägga nya åt andra hållet.

Laser will be available.

Then I have to lay chipboard, and then lay the wooden floor, which I'm trying to avoid precisely because of the ceiling height, otherwise it will look wrong aesthetically against the windows.

Sometimes you wish you had torn everything down and built new :wow:

 

[JOW]

#7:
That sounds like an okay method.
You mention in #12 that you will have a laser.
Then you can weigh each end on 34x70, and use a spirit level and shim the rest.
Towards the end, check across the beams with the spirit level/long level, or alternatively set the laser 1 yardstick width above the intended level and check with the yardstick.

 

[Tomas_P]

It feels like that solution fits best. Go for it.

Thank you very much.