With only 3 days notice, the carpenter that was going to fit my kitchen has
hit me with a 6 week postponement. Unfortunately it's too late for B&Q to
re-schedule the delivery, so from Saturday morn every room in my house is
going to be stacked with kitchen components and appliances.

So I've decided to do it myself!
Don't forsee any problem with the cabinets. I'm flat-pack capable, and
proficient in electrics and plumbing, but rather novice carpenter.

Main problem is my existing kitchen floor has about a 75mm fall in one
corner (over a 3.8m x 3.1 floor). The (1900's) house was gutted and fully
renovated 10 years ago including roof, internal walls, stairs, electrics and
plumbing, but for some reason they didn't level this floor, which leads me
to think it may be a bigger job than I could do. It is on the 1st floor, so
fully suspended. The ceiling of my office below has a similar matching
slope. There's been no cracking since the renovation so I guess it's old
movement.

So we have resolved it by designing a 'split-level' kitchen to sit on a
raised, level, false floor section covering 3/4 of the room on top of the
existing floor. I have 6" x 3/4" laquered pine floorboards to go on top. The
breakfast bar area and doorway stay on the existing floor at the more level
end. (bit hard to explain this - sort of walk in and sit at breakfast bar,
or step up into cooking area).

So I need to build a 150-200mm high, or so, 'false' floor over the existing
one, except level!

What I don't know is the dimensions and spacing of the frame members I need
to construct this raised section from. Any suggestions?
Should I remove the existing floorboards and build it onto the joists or
just put it on top of them, nailed through?

I'm guessing 2 x 4s spaced about 600mm apart, blocked up at similar
distances along them to level. Is there a building regulation covering
this?

Also should the staove gas & electric that have to be relocated be run under
the false floor , or above it ander the cabinet units?

Any hints, tips and suggestions appreciated.

Steve

In article ,
Steve Gilbey wrote:
What I don't know is the dimensions and spacing of the frame members I need
to construct this raised section from. Any suggestions?
Should I remove the existing floorboards and build it onto the joists or
just put it on top of them, nailed through?

Lay new joists alongside the old, screwed to them. Easiest way to get
things level without a great deal of work. Constructional timber is cheap.

With a fall of about 75mm, you should be able to do it without any
fiddling - 25mm or so overlap at the low end should still be plenty strong
enough.

--
*Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 22:10:14 +0000 (UTC), "Steve Gilbey"
wrote:

With only 3 days notice, the carpenter that was going to fit my kitchen has
hit me with a 6 week postponement. Unfortunately it's too late for B&Q to
re-schedule the delivery, so from Saturday morn every room in my house is
going to be stacked with kitchen components and appliances.

So I've decided to do it myself!
Don't forsee any problem with the cabinets. I'm flat-pack capable, and
proficient in electrics and plumbing, but rather novice carpenter.

Main problem is my existing kitchen floor has about a 75mm fall in one
corner (over a 3.8m x 3.1 floor). The (1900's) house was gutted and fully
renovated 10 years ago including roof, internal walls, stairs, electrics and
plumbing, but for some reason they didn't level this floor, which leads me
to think it may be a bigger job than I could do. It is on the 1st floor, so
fully suspended. The ceiling of my office below has a similar matching
slope. There's been no cracking since the renovation so I guess it's old
movement.

So we have resolved it by designing a 'split-level' kitchen to sit on a
raised, level, false floor section covering 3/4 of the room on top of the
existing floor. I have 6" x 3/4" laquered pine floorboards to go on top. The
breakfast bar area and doorway stay on the existing floor at the more level
end. (bit hard to explain this - sort of walk in and sit at breakfast bar,
or step up into cooking area).

So I need to build a 150-200mm high, or so, 'false' floor over the existing
one, except level!

What I don't know is the dimensions and spacing of the frame members I need
to construct this raised section from. Any suggestions?
Should I remove the existing floorboards and build it onto the joists or
just put it on top of them, nailed through?

I'm guessing 2 x 4s spaced about 600mm apart, blocked up at similar
distances along them to level. Is there a building regulation covering
this?

Also should the staove gas & electric that have to be relocated be run under
the false floor , or above it ander the cabinet units?

Any hints, tips and suggestions appreciated.

Steve


WOT I would do ......

buy 200mm x50mm preasure treated softwood, and plane every bit down to
size so it touches the top of the old floor and the bottom on the new.
Use 300mm centers. The first frame round the edge gets attached to the
walls, all the rest gets attached to that. I would use 22mm ply to
cover the top. I would run all the services behind the cabinets.

Its just like building a garden deck, and there are loads of places to
look for pictures of thow these are made.........

Rick

Thanks Rick,
I've posted this question on a few forums and got everything from replace
all the joists to demolish the house.

Yours is the first that seems do-able and sensible.

Bought the treated timber today.

S
"Rick Dipper" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 22:10:14 +0000 (UTC), "Steve Gilbey"
wrote:

With only 3 days notice, the carpenter that was going to fit my kitchen
has
hit me with a 6 week postponement. Unfortunately it's too late for B&Q to
re-schedule the delivery, so from Saturday morn every room in my house is
going to be stacked with kitchen components and appliances.

So I've decided to do it myself!
Don't forsee any problem with the cabinets. I'm flat-pack capable, and
proficient in electrics and plumbing, but rather novice carpenter.

Main problem is my existing kitchen floor has about a 75mm fall in one
corner (over a 3.8m x 3.1 floor). The (1900's) house was gutted and fully
renovated 10 years ago including roof, internal walls, stairs, electrics
and
plumbing, but for some reason they didn't level this floor, which leads
me
to think it may be a bigger job than I could do. It is on the 1st floor,
so
fully suspended. The ceiling of my office below has a similar matching
slope. There's been no cracking since the renovation so I guess it's old
movement.

So we have resolved it by designing a 'split-level' kitchen to sit on a
raised, level, false floor section covering 3/4 of the room on top of the
existing floor. I have 6" x 3/4" laquered pine floorboards to go on top.
The
breakfast bar area and doorway stay on the existing floor at the more
level
end. (bit hard to explain this - sort of walk in and sit at breakfast
bar,
or step up into cooking area).

So I need to build a 150-200mm high, or so, 'false' floor over the
existing
one, except level!

What I don't know is the dimensions and spacing of the frame members I
need
to construct this raised section from. Any suggestions?
Should I remove the existing floorboards and build it onto the joists or
just put it on top of them, nailed through?

I'm guessing 2 x 4s spaced about 600mm apart, blocked up at similar
distances along them to level. Is there a building regulation covering
this?

Also should the staove gas & electric that have to be relocated be run
under
the false floor , or above it ander the cabinet units?

Any hints, tips and suggestions appreciated.

Steve


WOT I would do ......

buy 200mm x50mm preasure treated softwood, and plane every bit down to
size so it touches the top of the old floor and the bottom on the new.
Use 300mm centers. The first frame round the edge gets attached to the
walls, all the rest gets attached to that. I would use 22mm ply to
cover the top. I would run all the services behind the cabinets.

Its just like building a garden deck, and there are loads of places to
look for pictures of thow these are made.........

Rick

In article ,
N. Thornton wrote:
Clamp 2x4 wood onto side of each existing joist. Get it properly
level.
Run pencil along top of old joist, to mark side of new 2x4.
Cut new wood along this line, so it fits to the old joist.
Glue and screw the new wood on the top of the old joist.
Relay floorboards, or use your new boards and sell the old if you
prefer.

Why bother with all that work? Simply screw them to the existing joists -
as I suggested days ago.

--
*Don't worry; it only seems kinky the first time.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.