Floorboard Help ??

JCAL · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:04 pm Post Subject: Floorboard Help ??

I have recently noticed that my floorboards have started to creak and feel as though they have dropped slightly. The house is about 100 years old and we have over the last few months been using a dehumidifier to dry out the walls etc as there is a lot of moisture! Could this be the cause of the recent change in the floorboards and what solutions can anyone recommend to fix/sort it?

Thanks

masona · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:51 pm Post Subject:

Upper floor: Lift some floorboards by the wall and check the condition of the joists inside the wall

Ground floor: most likely the sleeper wallplate is rotted, poke a screwdriver and check for timber quality where the floor joists is resting on

__________________
Always judge a man by the way he treats someone who is of no use to him

big-all · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 2:23 pm Post Subject:

heeellloooo JCAL and welcome

on top of masonas good advice

the wood could also be shrinking if it was particulary damp so an 8"deep joist could drop about 10mm the floor could shrink another 1mm
so your floor could drop and you boards instead off being tight togerher may now just be rubbing and squeeking

having said that a dehumidifier is very unlikly to have any effect unless theres big gaps between the floor and if its down stairs the air bricks are blocked

__________________
big all
we are------------------ all still learning

JCAL · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 3:55 pm Post Subject:

Thanks for your suggestions so far - may try on the weekend.

Just for more info, the floorboards I am referring to are all upstairs. It is not just the one room where I have noticed the floorboards changing but all three.

Some of them may have been like it before and I just haven't noticed but some are defintely worse! Bought the house about a year ago and surveyors report picked up loose floor boards but no other problems - just a bit concerned just in case we end up falling through the floor!

Any more help would be much appreciated

masona · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 4:09 pm Post Subject:

The only way you're gonna find out is to lift some floorboards.

__________________
Always judge a man by the way he treats someone who is of no use to him

mattysupra · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:20 pm Post Subject:

? dehumidifier ? are you over drying the air? This can be really bad for your house! Do you own a hygrometer to make sure your not taken to much moister out?