Fixing/replacing chipboard flooring - advice please!

[JB311]

Hi everyone.

I and my partner have recently moved into our first property, and we are trying to restore things as we go along in my attempt to renovate the house a bit, as it was a bit tired looking when we bought it. One thing that is becoming a bit of an obsession of mine is trying to improve the floorboard situation underneath our carpets. We are planning to remove and replace all the carpets upstairs, so seems a good opportunity to fix things before this is done.

Pulled up the carpet in one of the smaller bedrooms yesterday, to be confronted with these monstrosities (see pictures 1 and 2). I would really like some advice one how people think I can go about replacing the badly put back floorboards (with the red adhesive stuff), and the bit of wood that has been put in to fill the small rectangular hole. I wouldn't say the floorboards are especially creaky, but you could feel the raise in the floor under the carpet where the board has been totally wrecked by it being cut and restuck together. I am planning to take the carpet up on the landing (which this room backs onto), so I should be able to remove and replace boards that go under the wall in some areas.

Basically, I'm a complete beginner when it comes to this stuff, but I know the boards will be glued together so am looking at the best way to remove them and replace them. Any advice would be greatly received - even if the advice is 'leave it alone, it's not worth it - or you need a professional to come and look at it'!

 

[kenthammer]

@JB311 I've literally had the same as you. found your post by looking for the same answers!
We have an incredibly creaky chipboard floor in the landing. looks like a plumber has hacked holes in the floor at some point for sorting pipes underneath, and not even replaced them, so we have small gaping holes and lines cut in the floor under the carpet!

There is a post here on the forum but wasn't hugely helpful for what we're looking at. I was looking at ply replacement and doing it myself, but really not sure.
I'd be very interested in what you chose to do / anything you managed to figure out!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I am planning to take the carpet up on the landing (which this room backs onto), so I should be able to remove and replace boards that go under the wall in some areas.

If the boards aren't creaky to start with the fastest, cheapest and simplest fix is to overboard with 6 or 9mm plywood, screwed at 100 to 150mm centres (4.0 x 25 to 30mm chipboard screws to avoid hitting wiring or plumbing beneath). If you still have any low spots they can be dealt with using self levelling compound

I knowl the boards will be glued together so am looking at the best way to remove them and replace them.

Don't bank on it! (that they are glued) In general only recent work (maybe 10 to 20 years) onto new joists is glued down to the joists. One particular cowboy trick is to skip the glue and just nail it all in - saves time and makes more bunce for the guy who'd hitched his his by your back door... Yee, ha!

If the floor can be unscrewed and lifted then great. Even if it needs cutting, circular saw set to 18mm depth of cut an plunged in can be used to cut out the majority of the flooring without hitting any services under them. Just be careful to learn how to do this properly as it can be dangerous if you get it wrong. A pry bar and hammer might be needed to lift the boards, especially if they nailed. Floor replacement might entail fixing blocking or "noggins" to carry the board ends before you fix new boards down

I am a pro, but I see no reason why the average DIYer couldn't do the job