Extension now we have bouncing/shuddering upstairs

[toadman]

Hi there

We have recently had a small downtsairs extension added to our kitchen.

As part of the extension the builders knocked down some walls downstairs to make the kitchen open plan.

They inserted some steels where the walls were knocked down for the open plan look.

We also had a fire place removed and windows raised in the lounge - new lintels put in (the lounge had a sunken floor hence why we had this done)

Everything looks good and it's all plastered and painted but :

Now when you walk around in the room above the kitchen where the steel beam went in the floor upstairs seems to shudder and items bounce on tables in that room.

It feels safe but is very annoying !

The bedroom floor above the lounge also does the same.

So much so that some double doors in the lounge "rattle" downstairs when you walk into a part of the front bedroom.

the builders have just said they will keep an eye on this but I think it needs further work.

The floor joists are wooden and the house was built in the UK in the 1980's so its not old.

Can floor joists be strengthened from above to remove this bounce? The kitchen and lounge have been plastered and painted so we don't want to take the new ceilings down !

Can the council building inspectors look at this issue?

Thanks for any advice..

 

[toadman]

This is area where the steel went in. The floor above this is where it bounces

 

[bobasd]

the detail of the steels an joists are not clear.but its now all concealed?

pleasepost more photos showing the sub-floor above the lintelwhere it meets the skirtin.

how was the wall above supported while the lintel wasbein inserted - were needles used?

does the floors on both sides of the linteled supportedwall bounce?

now you dont step down into the living room?

how is any remaining c/breast supported?

is the floorin above the new windows have any bounce?

the builders will keep away probly.

hasBCO given a completion.doubt they would want to get involved.

 

[toadman]

hi there

Kitchen/bedroom
yes everything is now concealed in the kitchen - but we did take some photos just before !
The kitchen photos are attached, its the bedroom area above these steels that seems to bounce.

Bedroom/lounge
The lounge they inserted what we call strong boys to hold it up while the lintels were removed. They then put a new lintel in, then raised the window and then removed the strong boy. This part of the floor above the window actually seems fine - it was bouncy during the work - but once the lintel went in it went solid. There is one very small fine crack 2 inches max in the plaster just above the skirting board in this bedroom.

Its more the middle of the room above the lounge that now bounces and causes downstairs to rattle. The sunken lounge floor was raised 3 bricks in height using wooden beams and chipboard flooring. This seems ok. The large brick chimney breast was removed but i believe this was decorative only.

we havent had anything signed off yet. theres still some work to do in various places.

thanks for any advice..

 

[tony1851]

Not possible to tell from your pics where the problem lies.
Unfortunately, Building Control are unlikely to be concerned about the floor bouncing (unless the joists are under-sized and the
deflection causes cracking in the ceiling below) as they are only supposed to interpret the Building Regulations in so far as they affect health or safety;
a vibrating/bouncing floor is not generally dangerous - though agreed it will be very annoying.

 

[toadman]

Thanks for the reply Tony. I agree building control will says its safe but we cant live with the annoyance and i think would be hard to resell! The builder thinks its just the span of the joists as the wall below was removed and nothing now supports them. The steels apparnetly pick up walls above and not any help with the joists. They have suggested a fitch beam is put in by chopping out some bricks and sliding it in. Not sure how this is done but thinks this will fix the problem. They can do this from above / outside without taking down the ceiling.