Lifting flooring

spiidey · 29 Jan 2015

We've got the following type of flooring in our bedroom:-

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-P5-T+G-Chipboard-Flooring-18x600x2400mm/p/164516

(Albeit it is not green in colour!!)

We need to lift the flooring. What is the best way to do this?

There seems to be a multitude of videos online but none that deal did specifically with these larger panel sizes (in m2).

ree · 30 Jan 2015

FWIW: the fire resistant panels were obviously laid for a purpose. Is your intention to lift them undamaged, and put them back at a later date or will you use some other kind of flooring?

Do you have a circular saw?
Are the sheets screwed down?

spiidey · 11 Mar 2015

ree said:
FWIW: the fire resistant panels were obviously laid for a purpose. Is your intention to lift them undamaged, and put them back at a later date or will you use some other kind of flooring?

Do you have a circular saw?
Are the sheets screwed down?

Finally getting around to this - Intention is to lift them undamaged and put them back down.

Sheets are screwed down.

What kind of circular saw do I need?

ree · 11 Mar 2015

First, mark all panels so that they can be replaced back in the same spots.

You can use a drill with a screwdriver bit to reverse the screws out.

Find a panel edge that can be prised up, and once you have one panel up the rest will follow.

However, you might have to run your saw blade along the joins to cut off tongues.

If the panels are glued down then its difficult to prise them up without damage.

A small circular saw will do the trick - set the blade at about 15mm depth.
If you have to cut fresh panels then the saw will come in very handy.

spiidey · 12 Mar 2015

ree said:
First, mark all panels so that they can be replaced back in the same spots.

You can use a drill with a screwdriver bit to reverse the screws out.

Find a panel edge that can be prised up, and once you have one panel up the rest will follow.

However, you might have to run your saw blade along the joins to cut off tongues.

If the panels are glued down then its difficult to prise them up without damage.

A small circular saw will do the trick - set the blade at about 15mm depth.
If you have to cut fresh panels then the saw will come in very handy.

Thank you.

What circular saw would you suggest I go for?

IJWS15 · 13 Mar 2015

It might not be that simple . . . . . . .

Panels may be glued down, they may also be glued together at the edges. If so it probably won't be re-usable.

Checking how many fixings are in each panel will give you a clue. How old the house is will also give a clue.

Why do you need to lift all of the floor? Normally hatches are cut into the floor to allow work to be done in the space.

spiidey · 13 Mar 2015

IJWS15 said:
It might not be that simple . . . . . . .

Panels may be glued down, they may also be glued together at the edges. If so it probably won't be re-usable.

Checking how many fixings are in each panel will give you a clue. How old the house is will also give a clue.

Why do you need to lift all of the floor? Normally hatches are cut into the floor to allow work to be done in the space.

I'll check whether they're glued down - if they are, presume similar process for lifting them but obviously would need to buy new to put back down.

We need access to most of the floor void as we're laying insulation in the void.

IJWS15 · 13 Mar 2015

Ours only has nails at each side of the room and is glued down

spiidey · 13 Mar 2015

Is this product suitable for cutting into the floorboards?

http://m.bosch-do-it.com/?site=/gb/...0651240-199896.jsp&jumpto=gb-en#tab_technical

spiidey · 14 Mar 2015

Anyone able to confirm this?

spiidey · 15 Mar 2015

Have decided to get someone in to do this as I'm simply not taking the risk of sawing the boards when I've got no idea what's inderneath and where, even if I'm using a mini circular saw as it's just not something I've used before / am familiar with; and value my life more than my wallet!

We need about 9 boards lifted, what is a ballpark cost for this? We were going to use Rated People also - should we select the "Handyman" category or the "Joiner/Carpenter" Category?

IJWS15 · 16 Mar 2015

spiidey said:
Is this product suitable for cutting into the floorboards?

http://m.bosch-do-it.com/?site=/gb/...199896.jsp&jumpto=gb-en#tab_technical[/QUOTE]

No - You need something with a cutting dept at least equal to the board thickness. Most circular saws have adjustable cuts and you set it to the board thickness so you won't cut any cables or pipes.

Try cutting out a piece across a joist and if it lifts out easily then they are not glued down - you can put the same piece back in the hole by screwing pieces of 3x1 under the flooring to support the joins. At least this will tell you if you can do it or if you need to get someone in.

spiidey · 16 Mar 2015

IJWS15 said:
spiidey said:

Is this product suitable for cutting into the floorboards?

http://m.bosch-do-it.com/?site=/gb/...199896.jsp&jumpto=gb-en#tab_technical[/QUOTE]

No - You need something with a cutting dept at least equal to the board thickness. Most circular saws have adjustable cuts and you set it to the board thickness so you won't cut any cables or pipes.

Try cutting out a piece across a joist and if it lifts out easily then they are not glued down - you can put the same piece back in the hole by screwing pieces of 3x1 under the flooring to support the joins. At least this will tell you if you can do it or if you need to get someone in.

Click to expand...

Thanks. How on earth do I establish the depth of the floorboards though, without actually cutting one up?

If cutting a piece out over a joist, then is this completely safe from electrics i.e. surely there simply cannot be any electrics running between the joists and the floorboard!

IJWS15 · 17 Mar 2015

spiidey said:
IJWS15 said:

spiidey said:

Is this product suitable for cutting into the floorboards?

http://m.bosch-do-it.com/?site=/gb/...199896.jsp&jumpto=gb-en#tab_technical[/QUOTE]

No - You need something with a cutting dept at least equal to the board thickness. Most circular saws have adjustable cuts and you set it to the board thickness so you won't cut any cables or pipes.

Try cutting out a piece across a joist and if it lifts out easily then they are not glued down - you can put the same piece back in the hole by screwing pieces of 3x1 under the flooring to support the joins. At least this will tell you if you can do it or if you need to get someone in.

Click to expand...

Thanks. How on earth do I establish the depth of the floorboards though, without actually cutting one up?

If cutting a piece out over a joist, then is this completely safe from electrics i.e. surely there simply cannot be any electrics running between the joists and the floorboard!

Click to expand...

1 - doesn't it say in your first post - it come in 18 and 22mm (possibly sizes in between)

2 - Not being green implies older house (the green is a waterproofing that allows the builder to put the floor down before they put the roof on) but there should be no wiring within 50mm of the top of the joists unless there has been a DIY/cowboy job which would show with holes in the floor. Pipes should be at the middle of the joist so if you set cutting depth to board thickness you should be OK, if in doubt about the thickness start at 18mm and gradually increase until the saw cuts through. You will probably have built up joists so don't set the saw to cut any deeper than necessary

spiidey · 19 Mar 2015

Have now got flooring lifted between living room and bedroom above. (got handyman in to do this, just didn't want to take the risk).

We are laying insulation in the void and then putting the floorboards back down.

At the right hand side of the room, the last joist was effectively under the partition to the adjoining room, which meant that the chap who lifted the boards couldn't leave the cut of the floorboards directly above the last joist (marked 1 on pic) (as we wouldn't have been able to get into the gap between the last joist (1) and the last but one joist (marked 2 on the pic)).

When it comes to putting the boards back down, how do we deal with laying the boards between these two joists, as at the right hand side, at the point where the new floorboards will join the existing floorboards, there is nothing supporting the board at that point? (i.e. along the line marked 3 on pic).

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Lifting flooring

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