floor woobly need advice

[chickens898]

we live in a converted old cottage/house the house is a cob wall house but the floors of our appartment which is upstairs move when you walk on them , bouncy and when we use the washing machine i belive they are chipboard is there any way to strenghen these floors with out major work

i was thinking of putting marine ply or hard wood down not sure this would help
any ideas

 

[Deluks]

The joists aren't big enough. Or they are too far apart. Or they aren't properly braced, or the walls they are sitting on aren't up to the job.

Chipboard isn't the best thing for a floor but I doubt that it's causing the problems you describe.

Would this be a loft room by any chance?

 

[JohnD]

Cob walls are made of dried mud, so it is possible the joists do not have a firm bearing in the wall. Have a look at a sample and see if it is on a wall plate or a well-bedded brick or something. They may also have suffered from rot or insect.

As it is an old cottacge the joists may be undersized recycled timber. You will know more when you take up a sample of that chipboard

Chipboard is a terrible material, put down 18mm ply when you replace it.

 

[chickens898]

thank you for your replys, the only problem is we are in rented accomadation private landlord, and small jobs are never done so complaing about joists wouldnt get done

 

[memor maplin]

Pour water on the chipboard. Weaken it then put your foot through it.

Tell the Landlord whats happened and say if you have another serious accident you'd have to claim off his insurance.

Your head will spin at the speed he changes to ply.

 

[chickens898]

that sounds like good advice but it most probaly would be one of the kids who fell through
this is the kitchen m refering to so we got a washing machine in there and you can imagine the rattle as well as she(the landlord ) used carpet in kitchen and bathroom

 

[Deluks]

Has it always been a building with 2 floors, or was the upstairs converted in the roofspace?

 

[chickens898]

yes it has allways been two floors a cottage at one point the ground floor was used as a restraunt and the upstairs was the living area
i know it has had a extension to add more room to downstairs and up and also that one wall collapsed on out side, but none of this is in area where kitchen is

after talking about this i think the problem could be to do with the joists running a great lengh with out any supporting walls as under our kitchen /lounge is downstairs lounge which would of been the main area for the restraunt

as we cant fix it we will have to tell the kids to quiter on there feet

thanks for your answers

 

[Deluks]

If the downstairs is lived in by someone else then no need to tell the kids anything. Not your fault if the structure of the floor isn't up to spec. and if whoever lives downstairs complains to the landlady then they'll have to get it sorted (if it is the landlady then even better )


It is landlady for a girl isn't it?