Replacing floorboards

[chriselevate]

Looks like I might need to replace some first floor floorboards. They are currently 18mm x 98mm tongue and groove from 1970’s. What should I replace them with? I’d like to avoid creaks (I guess screwing into joists rather than the current nails sorts this) and I’d like them to feel more sturdy under foot than what is currently there.

Thanks

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Yes, 22mm t&g boards, screwed, will be stiff and creak free.

 

[chriselevate]

Brilliant! This is better than using sheets like they do in new builds?
E.g. Nicer to have wood floor board under the carpet than chipboard?

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Sheets are notorious for squeaking even when screwed. A general rule of engineering is: the bigger the object, the less 'give' it has.* Small boards can flex which intuitively might make you think they should sqeak, but since their neighbours can also flex in sympathy, you actually get less chance of squeak than when one big sheet happens to move against another sheet that cannot move.

*Useful to remember when tiling, too. Roman mosaics last two thousand years intact, while large slabs or tiles are more likely to crack.

 

[chriselevate]

That's awesome! Thanks for that useful lesson and brilliant tip. Really appreciate it.
When asking for a quote for them, do I give room dimensions or do I need to work out the total material length myself and let them know this length to quote for?

 

[Gerrydelasel]

My local timber yard will ask for the total length of boards, but maybe others will work it out for you from the area I don't know.
BTW the width of the boards NOT including the tongue is called the 'cover', so they might ask you if you want boards with 4 1/2 inch cover, or whatever.

 

[chriselevate]

Perfect, got you. That's great. Thanks.

 

[big-all]

you also need to work out the coverage a board will be ex say 5x1" you will loose about 6mm from the planing now 21x118mm the tongue will remove another 7mm or so around 111mm 6x1 will be around 21x136mm

 

[chriselevate]

Got you, thanks. So the cover of this material will be more like 21x136mm. So take this (finished/planed) "cover" dimension into consideration when measuring up?

 

[big-all]

yes room width say 3300mm divided by 136=25planks width
room length say 4m x25= 100 metres plus about 7% spare about 107metres

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Take the width of the room, divide it by the cover (e.g. 4.5 inch) and you know how many rows you need. Multiply that by the length of the room and you know the total length of boarding, ignoring safety margin.

Looks like some places advertise the total width of boards including the tongue, so don't get caught out, e.g. I think these are 4.5 inch cover boards but are being advertised as 4.75 inch width. https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-PTG-Floorboards-18-x-119-x-2400mm-Pack-5/p/120832
(I bloody hate how building materials are specified so crappily. I'm used to working in electronics where everything down to the tiniest resistor comes with datasheets and precise dimensioned drawings. On a builders merchants website you're lucky if it says anything more than "piece of longish wood for sale".

 

[chriselevate]

Haha! Indeed! The local merchant has PTG 22mm x 125mm. These don't seem very wide do they? Will they be fine or try to shop around to get something a bit wider like the Wickes - https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-PTG-Floorboards-21-x-137-x-2400mm-Pack-5/p/178236 ?

 

[big-all]

125 is 5" ask them what the coverage is it will be the 12-14mm less as i say

 

[chriselevate]

They've just told me that 125mm has a 115mm coverage. Does this sound about right?

 

[big-all]

yes thats fine as five inch is actually 127mm so minus 12-14mm is 113-115mm