The beetles ate my kitchen floor, what to put back?

[clouthead]

Yep we knew the house had wood worm when we bought it just before christmas but not that much. Top tip, if you see some worm holes in floor boards assume the worst. The best way to check the the floor boards for worm damage is to stab the boards at the tongued and grooved joint with a screw driver, hard. The creatures seem to like that bit. With no holes visible on the floor board surface my screw driver sunk in and all I got was dust.
So I'm about to rip up the kitchen floor, (still hoping the joists are OK).
I intend putting chip board back after treatment but wondered if its possible to insulate the boards in some way. It seems a shame not to add some insulation while the floor is up. Any ideas would be great, Thanks

 

[mointainwalker]

Any ideas would be great, Thanks

Yes, Use the search engine with the terms "under-floor-insulation " Lots of answers there.

 

[floordoctor]

I presume you have a floor void under your joists. If you have 6" joists then i'd get some kingspan (or celotext...it a bit cheaper) and cut to fit between the joists. 100mm thick should be OK. Fit it tight and fill any gaps with expanding foam.

 

[JohnD]

not chipboard. It's awful. Use 18mm WBP ply.

Treat the timbers with Cuprinol Green or other wood preserver. Examine the joists as some may need replacing.

clean away any rubbish under the floor and verify that you have a good airflow through the airbricks.

 

[clouthead]

Thanks John, but why not chip board, floor grade is supposed to be OK for damp kitchens?
thanks
Keith

 

[JohnD]

chipboard is awful. It is used because it is cheap, and will usually last until the builder has been paid.

It tends to crack and squeak, because it is so weak. You will probably have to take it up and renew it when it cracks or breaks in high-use areas, such as in front of the sink or under the washing machine.

do a search here on "chipboard floors" and see what you find.