Stop my creaky floors!

[jbstevens]

My upstairs floor creaks like mad and we're getting fed up of the whole household waking up whenever anyone goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

The current floor is 18mm chipboard T&G, but in a lot of places there are portions that have been cut out presumably for access to plumbing and electrics. These generally haven't been fixed well afterwards (ie. tongues were cut through to lift the board, then replaced without noggins so the join is unsupported between joists).

I've tried once to fix the worst of these by lifting the boards, fixing noggins under joins and screwing boards to joists/noggins. Things are still pretty bad though. It's way beyond talc.

I'm considering either getting someone in to replace the whole floor - interested in views on what this would cost for 3 bedrooms plus bathroom and landing in a small 3-bed house.

Alternatively, I wondered whether the problem would be helped by overlaying a second layer of boards, say 18mm ply, over the existing chipboard and screwing through to the joists (avoiding the significant mess and upheaval of having to rip up all the existing floor). Realise I'd have to shave the bottoms of all the doors though!

Any thoughts - what would it cost to get the floor replaced, and is it viable to just lay 18mm ply over the existing floor?

 

[noseall]

i think the ply overlay thing may be untenable.

fitting any subsequent floor coverings would mean you removing too much material from the door bottoms.

so long as builders keep using this carp then folks are always gonna have squeaky floors! you are not alone my friend.

we fit t&g pine floor boards that are twice nailed to each joist and cramp fitted. never had a squeak.

floor boards lend themselves well to any service installations too.

 

[jbstevens]

Thanks noseall - any views on typical cost of replacing with pine floor boards?

 

[noseall]

Thanks noseall - any views on typical cost of replacing with pine floor boards?

afraid not. typical is not a word i would use to describe this sort of job.

there are too many variables/stumbling blocks ie, furniture, stud walls, joist configuration, pipes, cables etc.

and it is all upstairs too.