Hi All,

Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?

Any suggestions, please?

Many thanks,

Al

On 14/08/14 12:46, AL_n wrote:
Hi All,

Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?

An injection of PVA glue works wonders..

Or if you are steenking reech, superglue!

Or rout across the strips and screw glue strengthening bits on

I wouldn't think laminate would cure, only reduce, the effect



Any suggestions, please?

Many thanks,

Al



--
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. €“ Erwin Knoll

On 14/08/2014 12:46, AL_n wrote:
Hi All,

Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?

Any suggestions, please?

Many thanks,

Al


BTDTGTT
If the floor is already spongy, laminate is the last thing you'd want to
put down
I guess there may be good reasons for not wanting to replace the
chipboard, but it's probably the most practical option.
Overlaying with ply screwed through the chipboard into the joists may
work, if you don't mind the raised floor level.

On Thursday, 14 August 2014 12:46:35 UTC+1, AL_n wrote:
Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

I don't think the interlocking nature actually matters all that much.

If the remaining pieces are too small, that will matter.

If the cuts have not been done over a joist that will be a problem.

I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor,

If the cuts haven't been done over a joist, lift those sections and
screw battens to the underside of the remaining boards, then re-lay the
sections.

Identify the joists, and screw the chipboard to every joist it crosses
- this will make a huge difference.

laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?

Just laying something on top won't help (unless it's very - 25mm - thick).

Laying 10mm ply over the chipboard, and then screwing the ply to the chip
(and into the joists) would help quite a lot - but you'd need to put
a floor above the ply.

In article , AL_n
wrote:
Hi All,

Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are
annoyingly soft underfoot. The reason is that the
chipboard sections have been sawn in order to lift them
and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness
of the floor, produced by the interlocking nature of the
boards.

I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I
can help it. I'm looking for other ways to restore
stiffness to the floor, such as, say, laying something
over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?

Any suggestions, please?

Many thanks,

Al
We had an extension built and the floor *was* chipboard and
very firm it was too.

The finish was a laminate which now feels (and sounds)
spongy

John

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

In article ,
AL_n wrote:
Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

Lift the offending ones and drill and screw re-enforcing over the joins
underneath? Plywood would probably be best. Or plain wood battening large
enough for a screw to grip.

I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring
do this?

No - you'll end up with bouncy floors which squeak too.

--
*We never really grow*up, we only learn how to act in public.

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

On Thursday, August 14, 2014 12:46:35 PM UTC+1, AL_n wrote:
Hi All,
Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.
I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?
Any suggestions, please?
Many thanks,
Al

any one of

replace damaged boards
screw supporting bits to joists under damage
screw stiffening loadsharing bits to chip underside
overlay the lot with 3/4" sheet material screwed down all round the damage


NT

On 14/08/2014 12:46, AL_n wrote:
Hi All,

Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?

Any suggestions, please?

Many thanks,

Al


Butt joints that are not over a joist should have been reinforced with a
doubler or by cutting a groove and fitting a loose tongue (a biscuit
jointer does this easily). For joints on a joist I usually fix a batten
to the side of the joist to give more support area and somewhere to
screw into.

On 14/08/2014 12:46, AL_n wrote:
Hi All,

Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

Fill the void under the floor with the bodies of dead plumbers.

Plumbers are genetically incapable of re fixing floor boards.


I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring do
this?

Laminate is a no no.

Any suggestions, please?

Prise up each piece, check what is where underneath, screw battens into
joists/under edges as necessary, screw down boards with 2" + screws.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
...

On 14/08/2014 12:46, AL_n wrote:
Hi All,

Some of the upstairs chipboard floors in my house are annoyingly soft
underfoot. The reason is that the chipboard sections have been sawn in
order to lift them and install central heating pipework underneath.
Obviously, this completely negates the original stiffness of the floor,
produced by the interlocking nature of the boards.

Fill the void under the floor with the bodies of dead plumbers.

Plumbers are genetically incapable of re fixing floor boards.


I really do not want to replace all the chipboard if I can help it. I'm
looking for other ways to restore stiffness to the floor, such as, say,
laying something over the top of the chipboard. Would laminate flooring
do
this?

Laminate is a no no.

Any suggestions, please?

Prise up each piece, check what is where underneath, screw battens into
joists/under edges as necessary, screw down boards with 2" + screws.


Prise up each piece, ceremoniously cremate it with it's like, and replace
with suitable flooring. Chipboard is devil's spawn

Andrew

On Thursday, August 14, 2014 6:55:56 PM UTC+1, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Prise up each piece, ceremoniously cremate it with it's like, and replace
with suitable flooring. Chipboard is devil's spawn

Bits of spawn all glued together. With spawn. But is is cheap and fast.


NT

wrote in
:

On Thursday, August 14, 2014 6:55:56 PM UTC+1, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Prise up each piece, ceremoniously cremate it with it's like, and
replace with suitable flooring. Chipboard is devil's spawn

Bits of spawn all glued together. With spawn. But is is cheap and
fast.


NT


As an aside, the best thing the builder of my house did was he pencilled
lines on the floor to show the location of pipes and cables. Over time when
I replace a carpet I paint the lines to make them clearer.

In article
6,
DerbyBorn wrote:
As an aside, the best thing the builder of my house did
was he pencilled lines on the floor to show the location
of pipes and cables. Over time when I replace a carpet I
paint the lines to make them clearer.

Read this advice on here years ago and actually remembered
to do it when I boarded a couple of lofts!

John

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

Prepositions are not used to end sentences with