New Floorboards under door frames

[ABN]

Hi

Read a lot of the threads about laying floorboards and they have answered many questions but still have an outstanding query you may be able to help with.

The house is a 1960's mid terrace 3 up 2 down. We are hoping to replace all/most of the upstairs floorboards. I think I understand what to do in the areas where the walls run across the joists i.e. just saw them in line with the wall, skirting has been removed. What I don’t know is what to do where the wall runs in the same direction as the joists but not directly over them. The studding appears to be nailed through the existing floorboards. The same applies to the door frames, they are nailed into the floor boards but not directly over a joist. Any help would be greatly appreciated J

 

[Nige F]

You`re right studding will be nailed to floor -the whole open area would have been boarded first...But WHY do you want to replace the boards, must be a hell of a job- I guess you could cut the nails with a hacksaw blade in a handle

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo abn and welcome

sounds like a nighmare job to me if you try and and replace the flooring under the stud wall you risk the wall sagging into the void and even worse pulling the ceiling down with it

are the floors realy that bad!!!!

 

[TexMex]

It really is a pig of a job, especially if the new boards are thicker than the old. Can you tell us.

Is the wall you are talking about is upstairs or down?
If upstairs are there any walls directly below the wall in question?
What type of boards are they planks or sheets of chipboard?.
How does the new board thickness compare with the old?

 

[ABN]

Thanks for the replies

What with a mixture of the previous owners handy work (and mine come to think of it ), the recent installation of central heating and an African Grey parrot the existing floor is in a terrible state.

We are trying to replace it with the Bordeaux pine boards from wicks which are t/g on all 4 edges . Being in 2 meter lengths will have to add "noggins" ?? where the joints do not lie over a joist, most likely will be most cases.

Don't need to replace the boards under the studding and can cut the boards either side and replace upto it but worry the thin strip left, as you suggested may not be strong enough.

As to the door frames, I will be replacing the boarding so could try, as suggested, cutting the nails with a hacksaw replace the board and renail. But my worry there is whether this work will dislodge the frames, put them out of line, and how long can they be left with one side unsupported before and damage (sagging etc) is likely to occur.

Looking to finish them with some form of satin "varnish" of which there seems to be many many different types. Which one would you guys reccommend as the easiest to apply, with decent results, for the complete and utter amateur.

 

[ABN]

It really is a pig of a job, especially if the new boards are thicker than the old. Can you tell us.

Is the wall you are talking about is upstairs or down?
If upstairs are there any walls directly below the wall in question?
What type of boards are they planks or sheets of chipboard?.
How does the new board thickness compare with the old?

The floor is upstairs
No wall directly below the problem areas
2 meter length pine boards t/g on all 4 sides
The new boards are slightly thinker by a couple of mill or so

 

[big-all]

unless i am missing somthing here iff you cut up to the stud wall and and you saw along the wall edge[which is parralel to the joists] cutting the boards as you go you finnish up with the stud wall being supported mid span by the ends of the remaining bits off board or do you intend to strip 3 or 4 boards at a time full length of both rooms replace then a few more boards out then replace till the rooms finnished

if you do it this way you can cut the boards just off the joist ether side off the stud wall remove the boards and try knocking the bit of flooring under the wall off you will still have the nails or screws to contend with

 

[TexMex]

As big Al says, you can do a section at a time (say about 2ft). cut each side of the wall, and the boards should be able to be knocked downwards off the bottom of the wall. Once the boards are out of the way, you can then get hacksaw/angle grinder in to cut off the nails.

Before you feed the new boards under, you'll want to make sure that those raw nail ends are right out of the way. One of those electric files are ideal for this job. Failing that, you could just use a punch and a hammer to push them up a bit from below (bit tricky).

Finally, you may find a nice big crow bar, useful to encourage the wall up a tad as you feed the new boards under. Once the new boards are in place, it should be safe to start cutting the next section along.

I wouldn't worry unduely about the door frame dropping, it should be quite firmly attached to the wall. (touch wood). Good luck.

 

[ABN]

Will try it that way then sounds like a sound plan

Many thanks.

Whilst here and before starting one other question (more may follow though . Reading the destructions on fitting the floorboards they recommend leaving "trap doors" over things such as joints in the central heating pipes, would like to leave them over junction boxes as well to give me some peace of mind.
As I will be attempting to secret nail the boards whats the recommended method of leaving places where parts of the boards can "easily" be removed to allow access.

 

[big-all]

as tex mex says youve got to be shure that your boards are nooo thicker otherwise you need some room to manoover[you will already require a mm or two] which may require easing a wedge [1 or 2mm] eitherside of the working space
but remember this may not work if the wall sags to much and prevents you getting the boards in or indead out only trying will tell