Gap Between Floors In New Extension

[alexpuk2002]

Hi,

We recently had an extension raised to the first floor level. At the moment I have a gap between the floorboards of the original house and the caberdeck floor of the first floor extension where the doorway is. I have added a photo of what it looks like. The existing wall of the original house is what lies between the 2 floors so there are bricks and floor joists visible.

The issue I am having is trying to find a way to level this out so when the carpet is fitted later, it is level and feels like a flowing floor if that makes sense. Now on the original house side the floorboards range in height from the brickwork from 5mm up to 15mm in different areas across the doorway. On the new caberdeck side, the height ranges from 2mm to 9mm.

What would be the best way to bridge this gap and level out the floor. I was originally thinking about getting some plywood or similar and then using packers to lift the wood and level this off, but with the gaps ranging on either side, I'm not sure this will work.

Thanks

https://flic.kr/p/2rCFXw7

https://flic.kr/p/2rCGccV

https://flic.kr/p/2rCFPxA

https://flic.kr/p/2rCEG1B

 

[Koolpc]

No photo...

 

[aveatry]

Are the 2 floors level with each other. If so take out the bricks and fit in some ply- looks like the original joists are a bit lower than the top of the bricks you will want them low enough to get 20mm ply in there. Take off that top layer of bricks and replace with some that are cut down to the same height as the joists. Then attach your 20mm ply with expanding foam - weight it down so its doesn’t rise.
If the height of the joists mean you cannot get 20mm ply then thinner will be ok so long as its fully supported.

 

[alexpuk2002]

I was hoping to avoid removing the bricks if possible

 

[alexpuk2002]

Are the 2 floors level with each other. If so take out the bricks and fit in some ply- looks like the original joists are a bit lower than the top of the bricks you will want them low enough to get 20mm ply in there. Take off that top layer of bricks and replace with some that are cut down to the same height as the joists. Then attach your 20mm ply with expanding foam - weight it down so its doesn’t rise.
If the height of the joists mean you cannot get 20mm ply then thinner will be ok so long as its fully supported.

The floors don't seem to be level. The floorboards seem to be about 3mm higher than the new caberdeck floor in the extension. I'm hoping that with fitting underlay and then carpet, being slightly out of level by a few mm won't be that noticeable, especially in the doorway.

 

[noseall]

I was hoping to avoid removing the bricks if possible

Then any advice anyone gives you one here is not going to be of any use. The start point of that job is to remove the bricks. Your reluctance is baffling.

 

[aveatry]

The floors don't seem to be level. The floorboards seem to be about 3mm higher than the new caberdeck floor in the extension. I'm hoping that with fitting underlay and then carpet, being slightly out of level by a few mm won't be that noticeable, especially in the doorway.

Well actually if you think about it the doorway is the worst place for a height difference because its the most used area.
If you dont want to remove the bricks then fit 5mm ply with a full bed of foam. But I dont see that there is even 5mm space height there and its not the best option.
I had a similar situation but I had some 3mm steel hanging around and used that.

 

[Scally-Ho]

If the height of those bricks was lower, then it would not present a problem. However, with the minimal space you have, I can see no way of making a decent floor-to-floor continuous flow without removing the bricks and then cutting them. OR leaving them out and then securely packing up to allow a decent thickness ply to provide a level bridging between the two rooms.

 

[aveatry]

If the height of those bricks was lower, then it would not present a problem. However, with the minimal space you have, I can see no way of making a decent floor-to-floor continuous flow without removing the bricks and then cutting them. OR leaving them out and then securely packing up to allow a decent thickness ply to provide a level bridging between the two rooms.

Problem is leaving them out there is only half a joist available and only 2 at that. So nothing on the left and nothing on the new floor side.
Those bricks do not look like they will put up much of a fight to get out and probably are loose from creating the doorway in the first place.

 

[alexpuk2002]

Then any advice anyone gives you one here is not going to be of any use. The start point of that job is to remove the bricks. Your reluctance is baffling.

I'm not reluctant to remove the bricks at all, I was only saying that ideally if there was another way to sort this without removing the bricks then that would be the preferred method.

As it seems that removing the bricks is the only way to get a level floor across both rooms, then I will look into this. My concern is that the bricks either side of the joist look fairly easy to remove, I'm not sure how easy the other bricks will be to remove, and with limited room it may be a bit of a challenge

 

[aveatry]

I'm not reluctant to remove the bricks at all, I was only saying that ideally if there was another way to sort this without removing the bricks then that would be the preferred method.

As it seems that removing the bricks is the only way to get a level floor across both rooms, then I will look into this. My concern is that the bricks either side of the joist look fairly easy to remove, I'm not sure how easy the other bricks will be to remove, and with limited room it may be a bit of a challenge

Once the ones either side of joists are gone the other half side bricks at new floor end will come out easily

 

[Dereekoo]

Mix some 3 to 1 mortar, fill in all the gaps in the brickwork so you are left with whatever heights to the required floor level (2 -9mm?) and then when the mortar has hardened off finish with a self levelling screed (they are not actually self levelling so you will have to trowel or tamp off to suit between the floors

 

[noseall]

I'm not reluctant to remove the bricks at all, I was only saying that ideally if there was another way to sort this without removing the bricks

It's such an easy fix one the bricks are gone, its laughable.

Mix some 3 to 1 mortar, fill in all the gaps in the brickwork so you are left with whatever heights to the required floor level (2 -9mm?) and then when the mortar has hardened off finish with a self levelling screed (they are not actually self levelling so you will have to trowel or tamp off to suit between the floors

Jeezus H Christ.

 

[alexpuk2002]

After further investigation it appears that the bricks that are close to the new extension floor form part of an exposed feature wall that shows the exposed brick wall. This was the original outside wall where a window used to be, and the bricks that need remover are highlighted in the photo in the yellow box, which is the archway of a former window.

As the room below has just been recently completed, and we don't want to ruin the look of the wall below, it look like removing those bricks aren't really an option.

I am leaning towards either finding some thin plywood to cover the bricks or to do what Dereeko suggested above.

https://flic.kr/p/2rCSh44

https://flic.kr/p/2rCSjd4

 

[danfre]

Very much doubt those bricks in the doorway are the arch bricks