Floor boards vs Chipboard 1st Floor (Again?)

[lavadiy]

Guys i expect this has been mentioned many times, but my searching for nights on end has just turned up lots of squeaking threads and not this specific.

-Rather large 4 bed detached undergoing renovation. Built ~1977
-Decided to rip all the old 18mm chipboard up. Some had broke (was flood in house prior to my purchase as it was unoccupied) plus needed to re-wire and all plumbing changing.
-So i have no floor upstairs in my house.
-Rooms are fairly large certainly 4 double size rooms.

-Joists are NOT all level. There are some dips in some rooms that i hope we can just pack a little. All down stairs ceilings recently plastered (prior to knowing needed to rip floor up ) so no comments please about replacing joists. They are sound, just not all 100% level.
-Joists 2inch wide (can't remember how deep but certainly 8inch+ i'd say. i THINK 400 centers

Ignoring cost for the moment are 25mm floor boards better or 22mm chipboard?

If these mean anything they will be the options :-

1) 25x150 5ths Redwood flooring. Nom Finish <- floor boards
2) 2400*600*22m V313 P5 FSC (B) Kronospan chipboard flooring <- chipboard

Yes there is a cost difference but if there is enough comments back that floorboards are better i don't mind the difference.

Hopefully some kind people will reply

 

[JohnD]

Well for a start, never use chipbboard.

WBP ply is good.

 

[lavadiy]

Thanks john,

I've been assured the chipboard mentioned here is Flooring Grade chipboard which is used in many new builds. I'm just wanting to know if floor boards are better.

Happy to look at ply too, but not sure if you get T&G ply unless people know otherwise??

 

[JohnD]

you can, yes, made for flooring.

But you can also get square-edged which IMO is much more convenient when you need to take up a panel to get at pipes or cables. You should nog unsupported short edges.

like this
View media item 1873

 

[foxhole]

IMO. Chipboard is a very cheap shoddy option for flooring. Apart from being very weak [especially due to water damage] it's low density prevents nails or even screws getting a good purchase leading to bouncy, squeaking floor.
So floorboards or ply would be my choice.

 

[lavadiy]

Thanks. I must admit i prefer the idea of floorboards, but read somewhere nowadays they may curl up or something.

i know the newer chipboard is far more dense than the stuff i took up, but with my floor being a little uneven i can imagine it working loose even when screwing.

I thought with floor boards if any dips in a joist you can just pack that bit as you lay the board and then lay the next board, pack and so on rather than trying to work out the gaps with a big sheet of chipboard.

I wonder how much ply will be. hmmm

 

[JobAndKnock]

I know the newer chipboard is far more dense than the stuff i took up, but with my floor being a little uneven i can imagine it working loose even when screwing.

I thought with floor boards if any dips in a joist you can just pack that bit as you lay the board and then lay the next board, pack and so on rather than trying to work out the gaps with a big sheet of chipboard.

Big sheet of chipboard? If you are going to use chipboard the best approach is to use 8 x 2ft (actually 2400 x 600) T & G sheets, screwed at 300mm centres with all the tongues glued. It won't squeak and the screws won't pull out if you go for something like FloorTite screws. If your floor is well out beg, borrow or hire a laser level and pack out against the laser line - it's the only worthwhile way of doing the job and doesn't take long at all

"Chipboard is a cheap shoddy option for floors"- one man's opinion, but a large section of the building trade doesn't agree. Properly installed it provides a flat, draught-proof floor at an affordable cost - something that timber floorboards don't do. If you need to access electrics, etc then a few judiciously-positioned access traps are a good idea. If you want a more rigid floor choose 22mm over 18mm

Plywoood floors? They are really expensive, the sheets sometimes need squaring and you'll need to edge groove the sheets and insert loose tongies for effective draught proofing and edge support. IMHO the only place it's worthwhile considering plywood is the bathroom - the rest shouldn't get wet

 

[JohnD]

the building trade wants to put down a floor at minimum cost, the DIYer wants to put down a floor with a long trouble-free life.

so they may wish to choose different materials and techniques.

 

[joinerjohn]

I'd opt for proper floor boards every time. Chipboard is only used by lazy builders as a fast and cheap alternative.
Just a shame the ceiling below has already been plastered though. I'd have preferred to put the flooring down before having the ceiling done. However , you can put floor boards down using tongue tite screws (if you nail the floor boards down, you'll have poppers in the ceiling below.)

 

[JobAndKnock]

the building trade wants to put down a floor at minimum cost, the DIYer wants to put down a floor with a long trouble-free life.

My experience of renovation jobs on older houses is that timber floorboards often get damaged the first time a house is rewired and that the damage continues getting worse and worse as time goes on as more and more trades pull up bits of flooring to deal with their own requirements. So by 60 or 80 years of age many are an absolute mess

 

[foxhole]

the building trade wants to put down a floor at minimum cost, the DIYer wants to put down a floor with a long trouble-free life.

My experience of renovation jobs on older houses is that timber floorboards often get damaged the first time a house is rewired and that the damage continues getting worse and worse as time goes on as more and more trades pull up bits of flooring to deal with their own requirements. So by 60 or 80 years of age many are an absolute mess

Seems like a good recommendation for floor boards lucky to get 6-8 years out of chipboard.

 

[JohnD]

107 years after it was built, some of the original floorboards in my old mum's house have been up and down multiple times. It's quite interesting when I find myself taking up a board my dad screwed down 50 years ago. If they were taken up with reasonable care, and refixed with countersunk screws, it's no big deal. In a few cases they had cracked along the grain when levered out and I repaired with waterproof resin woodglue. I am sure that a DIYer treats his house with more care than a tradesman would.

In my own house the chipboard was cracked and swollen within ten years of build. I am working round pulling it up and replacing with WBP ply which I greatly prefer.

 

[ladylola]

My experience of renovation jobs on older houses is that timber floorboards often get damaged the first time a house is rewired and that the damage continues getting worse and worse as time goes on as more and more trades pull up bits of flooring to deal with their own requirements. So by 60 or 80 years of age many are an absolute mess

Correct , and this rather makes the case for getting in a decent chippy to lift the boards and minimise the damage. Not wanting to make enemies but electrians do seem to cause more damage than others in my experience.
To answer the original question I'd go for floorboards every time if the budget allows. Don't forget they also are much better cosmectically too if you ever want to go down the "no carpet" route.

 

[lavadiy]

Thanks for all the responses.
The laser level idea for packing is great, and seems consensus is floor board or ply.
No one has mentioned floorboards might curl up which was a big worry of mine.

Floor boards from my quote are twice as dear, but i have a contact so its working out the same for floor boards as the cheapest online quote i had for chip board

I'll have to get a quote for ply to compare too.

Last question. I'd be screwing anything down, but with floor boards is it necessary to screw EVERY board down (which would be quite a task) or can you get away with every few and let the T&G do the rest?

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

Its getting harder and harder to get flooring quality boards not long ago available in sizes from 4" -9" , has anyone els got this problem ,I cant understand why people are that keen on ply floors if they don't have t& g edges or am I missing something