Re-Using Floor Grade Chipboard

[Captain Mike]

I live in a detached conventional brick-built house, constructed 13 years ago. We experience unacceptable levels of noise in downstairs rooms, when anyone walks across the bedroom floors above. The noise is a combination of creaks and squeaks together with footfall noise. I plan to lift the floor panels in one of the bedrooms and check on the fixing of the joists and sufficiency of noggins, reinforcing where necessary. Acoustic mineral wool will then be placed between the joists and a rubber cushion strip along the joists before re-laying the floor panels.

My questions are:

What thickness should the floor panels be?
Can I re-use the existing floor panels provided that the T&G remains undamaged, or would it be better to start again with fresh panels?
If fresh panels are needed, are those from suppliers such as B&Q, Wickes good enough?

 

[gregers]

the squeaks your hearing are no doubt the tongue or groove failing in the chipboard,if the floor has been laid down correctly then the only way your going to get it up is to destroy it,as all joins should be glued together,so for you to get it up and relay it i personally think it isnt going to happen.

 

[Captain Mike]

To avoid the problem recurring if I use new chipboard again, would it be better to use floor-grade ply?

 

[Richard C]

Chipboard flooring is cheap & nasty crap; additional noggins or extra fixings will not make much difference for very long, either learn to live with the creaks & groans of a crap flooring material or rip it up & replace it with something decent; floorboards or ply but use WBP in the bathroom.

 

[gregers]

Chipboard flooring is cheap & nasty crap; additional noggins or extra fixings will not make much difference for very long, either learn to live with the creaks & groans of a crap flooring material or rip it up & replace it with something decent; floorboards or ply but use WBP in the bathroom.

er heres your answer,cant add any more to it C/M.