Subfloor access

[Stevecc]

Hello

We have a subfloor which we want to inspect for damp and rot

The floor is wood laminated, then floorboards underneath and then into the subfloor itself with joists etc...

Not sure how the laminated floor is retained, could be glued, could be tongue and grove. In the cupboard under the stairs I can see the edge of the laminated floor which appears to sits on a felt like material sitting on the floorboards.

We want to either install inspection hatches or get the floorboards up to see the subfloor

Not sure how to approach this.

Presumably we can't cut hatches through the laminated floor and need to get laminated floor up first.

Any advice appreciated

 

[JohnD]

consider cutting an access hatch under the stairs. It won't get much traffic, and will not be seen much. If it was me i would make the hatch out of 18/25mm WBP in one piece, as it is pretty strong and rigid, making sure that all edges are supported on a joist or trimmer. It's possible to use wood dye and varnish on ply to help blend it in.

if you ever have to cut a trap in the floor of a room, put it as far from the doorway and traffic routes as you can. This will minimise wear and creaking. Unless the subfloor void is very deep, you will probably have to go in feet-first and angle your body, so it needs to be bigger than a loft hatch.

You can cut through laminate but it will be difficult to get your cuts over the joists and avoid screws and nails that you can't see.

 

[Stevecc]

JohnD thanks for your reply. When we moved in there was a hatch cut in the subfloor under the stairs. I extended it along the direction of the joist. I have been in the subfloor via this hatch. Quite a tight fit. The problem is, I can't get under some pipework and can't get acess to a large area of the subfloor. So was looking at taking the laminate up and then floorboards. I suspected I could not cut directly througth the laminate. I was wondering if it is a big job to get laminate up and then down again, or even if possible, once its up to get it down, without buying new laminate

 

[Ian H]

If you have a circular saw with adjustable cutting depth you could cut through just the laminate near the under stairs door.

 

[Stevecc]

Thanks Ian, unfortunetely the area I need access is away from the stairs and as I say blocked by subfloor pipes from the access under the stairs

I was just wondering if anyone could comment on the difficulty of removing and returning laminate flooring. Is this a difficult job.

 

[endecotp]

I was just wondering if anyone could comment on the difficulty of removing and returning laminate flooring. Is this a difficult job.

If you’re lucky, the laminate boards will “click” together and can just be “unclicked” - but you have to start at the correct edge of the room, and you may need to remove the skirting to get the first board up. Sod’s law says the place you need to access will be the most difficult to reach.

You may find that small children are able to get past the pipes that are currently blocking your access. (Semi-serious suggestion.)

 

[foxhole]

Inspection camera thru exterior sub floor vents?

 

[Stevecc]

Thanks endecotp its given me encoragement to give it a go taking the laminate floor up

Thanks foxhole. Ive tried a cheap usb camera attached to a laptop. Air brick gaps are very small and camera just goes througth. The problem with a camera is that it is very hard to manipulate the direction of the camera by just feeding the cable and because you only get a close up view you are often wondering what you are looking at.

 

[foxhole]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EWO9...t=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-521561878966

 

[Stevecc]

Thanks foxhole. Yes this is very similar to what I have already tried with the problems described above

 

[JohnD]

you can cut through the "tongue" of the click by running a cutter down the join between boards of laminate, but on reassembly you will have a gap remaining, the thickness of your blade. possibly you could camoulflage it with silicone or something of a toning colour.

 

[blup]

You will not be able to pinpoint the location/locations of the potential damp unless you're prepared to take up the whole of the laminate flooring, and pull up the floorboards, using the methods described.

You could take up the laminate where it abuts the wall first and identify the run of the floorboards, and if lucky they will go the same way, and this might give you an idea of the kind of problem that exists (if any). But if that section is free of damp/rot/woodworm it won't mean the rest of the sub floor - which you can't see - is in the same condition.

Blup