Levelling Floor

[thebadger7]

Hi all - some help would be greatly appreciated!

We have a raised timber floor which is out of level - a drop of about 3 inches across a 4m wide room, perpendicular to the joist direction.

Ripped up floorboards and joists are in good nick, but I want the floor levelled (not sure why it's out of level, but it's an old house with many alterations so it could have been from when it was turned into a shop for example). Any brainwaves on best way to level? Had a quote to cut the existing joists down to make level, which came out at £2.5k - seems excessive?? Would it not make more sense to pack the lower joists to raise the floor up?

Any help would be great

thanks

luke

 

[vinn]

Dont ever cut or reduce the section of a joist.

Have you carefully examined and probed for rot the ends of the joists sitting in wall pockets etc?
What else inside or outside the house shows signs of having dropped?
Have you talked to neighbour's ref this?

You would be best advised to use packing pieces at the joist tails to lift the joists in to level - pack under where the tails sit in pockets or on top of sleeper walls.
You might have to chisel out a little brickwork above the pockets to give lifting room.
Another method would be to use full length furring pieces on top of the joists.

The thing is, that lifting a floor that has gradually settled might cause further complications with other room FFL's & doors and skirtings and units etc?

If you posted photos of the joist pockets and the low end walls it would help?

 

[thebadger7]

Thanks for the reply - I think the plan was to provide additional support to the trimmed joists. The concern over raising was interfering with door frames.

Can't see to bearing ends atm unfortunately, but joists from where I can see are in v good condition

Skirting already needs replacing so that's not an issue!

Would some form of self levelling compound such as this be possible as a cheaper solution, or is that more for minor unevenness ?

//www.diynot.com/diy/threads/how-to-level-a-very-uneven-wooden-subfloor-or-concrete-wood.77960/

Thanks

 

[vinn]

I dont understand - what plan?
Is the trimming you refer to trimming the hearth?
Why not post photos?

The SLC business I would avoid unless a last resort.

 

[thebadger7]

As in the plan I've been quoted £2.5k for - to cut down some of the joists to make level, and then add in additional joists to support.

Trimming was referring to cutting the joists down to make level - not best choice of word!

Pics attached - thanks for your help, out my depth somewhat with this one!!

 

[vinn]

Ok, its a case of the floor has been repaired before.
Or attempts have been made to, perhaps, do remedial repairs due, I suspect, to rotting joist tails in the wall pockets.
I also suspect that joists tails have been cut off and incorrectly mended instead of having bolt-on's.
Previous "repairs" have seriously weakened the floor.


The floor in pic 1. is it sloping to the monitor wall in the photo?
Is that wall an outside wall? Is there (or was there) a chimney breast on that wall?
Do the floor boards (in pic 1.) run to that wall without changing direction.
If you drop between the joists into the joist bay you could get closer to the joist pockets in the doorway wall and take photos of the pockets and the 2" x 4" repair lengths.
Is the dark stain at the door threshold water penetration?

In pic 2. the floor obviously changes direction - note the gap under the wonky skirting, and the supporting "posts" attempting to support the cut joist(s?).
Go under and photo the pockets as best you can.
The single joist supporting the short joists should be a doubled joist to take the weight.

All wood debris should be removed from the oversite.
I dont know what was included in the plan but unless it seems to fall in line with what I'm telling you its a flawed plan.
At some stage you will have to bite the bullet and remove all belongings from the room - more flooring, close to the walls, will also have to be lifted so that what remedial work is needed is obvious to you or to anyone quoting.

 

[thebadger7]

Thanks for the very detailed reply

Pic 1 shows floor sloping towards TV. This is an internal wall that contains chimney breast (to right of pic).
Floorboards run in same direction apart from the other side of the room in pic 2.
The different directions are because there used to be a corridor wall which was removed - the floor drops after the remains of this wall as shown in pic 2.

Dark under door is shadow not water.

I'll try and get some more pics

Cheers

Luke