Remedy for squeeking chipboard floor

[GlosterMeddler]

Hi,

We've been renovating our house (30's semi) for some time and have finally reached the kitchen which is in an extension build in 2008.

The current flooring was lino that ran through from the dining room (in the old part of the house) into the kitchen. Upon lifting the lino we found that the floor underneath consisted of:

In the kitchen:

• Concrete slab
• 75mm polystyrene
• 18mm chipboard panels (secured to the slab with what look like long frame fixings)
• Overlaid with 5.5mm plywood

In the dining room:

• Suspended wooden floorboards
• Overlaid with 5.5mm plywood

As part of our renovations we have made changes to the kitchen layout which have meant we have had some of the chipboard panels up in the kitchen section, some of these were cut by plumbers, electricians etc to get access below. We have now found that the entire floor in the kitchen squeeks!!

When we are finished we want to lay an engineered wooden floor throughout both rooms and I'm now trying to work out what to do, I think I've got a couple of options:

1. Repair any cut chipboard panels, add extra screws where squeeks are worst, install the kitchen and new floor and hope that the extra weight stops the squeeks....
2. Lift the chipboard and replace with a new 18mm plywood.

Can anybody offer any advice as to which route I should take (or if there is an alternative)? Obviously option 2 is more costly in time and material but if it is going to give me a better result (an better medium for the engineered floor above?) then so be it, we intend to be in this house a long time....

 

[vinn]

Your floors need a site visit by a wood floor layer - too many variables for any comment, by me at least, on here.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I don't like the sound of your chipboard floors being fixed through the insulation at all. A better approach has would have been to glue the tongues but leave the chipboard floating. Plywood added on top sounds like there could have already been some attempt to correct either level or other issues. I have to agree with Vinn - you'll probably need a visit from a competent person