Gap in suspended floor under kitchen unit

[kopite1592]

Hi

Recently moved house and noted a bit of a draft coming from the kitchen area. The living room/dining room and kitchen is all one big open plan space (which is why we loved the house!). It’s an old 1930’s semi with a suspended floor and crawl space underneath.

Anyway, on inspection I’ve noted where the draft is coming from. The kitchen layout has been re-jigged when the house got made open plan and the sink and waste have changed walls (swapped with where the over used to be).

Where the sink and waste pipes etc used to be, there is a gap in the floor which ultimately will be leading to the crawl space that is below the house. The gap is about 12 inches in diameter and as it’s under the units, it’s tricky to get to. I can’t just slide a board in (or similar) to cover the hole, as the legs for the units get in the way and it’s all a bit tight under there to manoeuvre.

it’s not an unbearable draft but is obviously something that needs remedying in any case. Quite why you would put a brand new kitchen over the floor like that - rather than sealing it first - is beyond me.

Anyone got any ideas?

many thanks.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Where the sink and waste pipes etc used to be, there is a gap in the floor which ultimately will be leading to the crawl space that is below the house. The gap is about 12 inches in diameter and as it’s under the units, it’s tricky to get to. I can’t just slide a board in (or similar) to cover the hole, as the legs for the units get in the way and it’s all a bit tight under there to manoeuvre.

Can you not prop it up and remove the legs temporarily, whilst you slide some ply in and screw it down?

Is there an alternative access so you could fix something there from below?

 

[kopite1592]

Going below isn’t an option really, so I need to do whatever I do via the gap under the cabinets.
The propping up idea sounds great, but they’re ikea units and I have a feeling that the legs need to come out by about an inch to come off them. As it forms part of the overall worktop (4 metres) I can’t lift one individual cabinet up to screw the legs off, without disrupting the entire worktop and kitchen. ‍

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Going below isn’t an option really, so I need to do whatever I do via the gap under the cabinets.
The propping up idea sounds great, but they’re ikea units and I have a feeling that the legs need to come out by about an inch to come off them. As it forms part of the overall worktop (4 metres) I can’t lift one individual cabinet up to screw the legs off, without disrupting the entire worktop and kitchen. ‍

No need to remove the legs, usually they are adjustable for length - enough to clear some ply slid under them.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Or cut an oversize cover, then cut it in half, sliding it in from each side. If you used a bit of t&g loft board, it would seal itself.

 

[kopite1592]

Fabulous ideas. I’ll have a closer look at the legs and see if I can slide something under them. Failing that, the split in two option seems workable.

 

[foxhole]

Plastic mat, roll , poke underneath, allow to unroll .