Bedroom Floorboards

Gangu

Our bedroom floorboards are in a terrible state. They are old with massive nails in them, gaps between them. We were going to get fitted wardrobes in, but before we do now I am thinking of reflooring the bedrooms. I was thinking we could just get a really thin wood floor and lay them on top of the current boards. All that would be needed is to take off the skirting boards and put them back on.

Is it really that simple? Has anyone else done this and if so do you have any tips? Do you have to put a layer between the existing boards and the new ones to stop creaking or something?

We've made some bad renovation mistakes in the past, so anyone with experience who has any advice would be gratefully heard.

slinky2000

Very common in the states (don't know about Ireland, I've never seen it) to lay a sheet of ply over floorboards to even them out etc.

I don't see an issue with it myself.

Gangu

Thanks. I am thinking of something nicer than plywood, but I don't know what I am looking for really. How do they affix the plywood to the boards?

antiskeptic

Gangu wrote: »

Thanks. I am thinking of something nicer than plywood, but I don't know what I am looking for really. How do they affix the plywood to the boards?

He would have meant plywood before something like carpet. A thin layer of wood glue and a barrel load of small screws to hold it down. If not carpet then why not some laminate, it's not very thick. Normally laid on a thin foam sheet designed for that purpose. You'd be advised to hammer down nails and perhap plane down high spots that would raise the laminate excessivel

josip

We put semisolid all upstairs in our 3 bed semi-d.
The floor had been cut to bits installing new heating piping
Can't remember how many mills thick they were.
Laid them perpendicular to floorboards underneath.
Put sheeps wool underneath them for sound insulation.
Made bu**er all difference, I can still tell downstairs exactly where our children are walking upstairs. Which can be useful
Because the semi wasn't that thick and had some flex, we had to make sure everything underneath was rigid before we laid it.
It wasn't particularly difficult job, just a slow one doing it myself
I'd done another semi floor a few years ago and remembered some of the mistakes I made then.
Still, looks well if done properly, you'll need to have the house well heated if you like walking around barefoot upstairs.
Only downside is if you ever need to access something in the space between the joists (wiring/piping) you'll have to go at it via the ceiling underneath because you can no longer lift a floorboard. And good plasterers aren;t cheap.

colm_mcm

slinky2000 wrote: »

Very common in the states (don't know about Ireland, I've never seen it) to lay a sheet of ply over floorboards to even them out etc.

I don't see an issue with it myself.

The only issue I'd see is the door opening, and the floor being higher than the floor on the other side of the door

OP, normally you need to put a layer of foam underlay under the new floor.

Meeoow

Why don't you paint them? My floorboards were crap, so I got a hammer and punch and hammered the sticky out nails in, hired a sander, painted and varnished the floor.
French cream looks well. Hard to keep clean, but can live with it in bedroom.

Gangu

That is great everyone. I don't like laminate. I want wood but yes semisolid is the way to go I think.

Wool versus foam as a buffer, which is best? Or maybe a better question is which is less likely to deteriorate over time for sound purposes, and which is thinnest?

We will find someone to lay the floor for us. Neither of us would be up to it.

Good point on the door. Theres always something else

Gangu

Meeoow wrote: »

Why don't you paint them? My floorboards were crap, so I got a hammer and punch and hammered the sticky out nails in, hired a sander, painted and varnished the floor.
French cream looks well. Hard to keep clean, but can live with it in bedroom.

I'm not a fan of painted floorboards and I love wood. Thanks though.

e.r

Fibre board either 5.5mm or 7 mm perfect for sound and no need to sheet out floor before hand.
Just ensure all nails are down and floorboards ain't making noise

Steve

Get a bin of 40mm screws and fix the floorboards first.
Pull any loose nails, don't hammer them in.

3mm foam on top and then laminate or engineered floor.

josip

Steve wrote: »

Get a bin of 40mm screws and fix the floorboards first.
Pull any loose nails, don't hammer them in.

This is good advice.
If you use a hammer you risk damaging the ceiling underneath.
Floorboards in a new build are hammered in before the ceiling underneath is done.

Gangu

e.r wrote: »

Fibre board either 5.5mm or 7 mm perfect for sound and no need to sheet out floor before hand.
Just ensure all nails are down and floorboards ain't making noise

So googled this, you are saying the fibreboard would be the buffer?

Gangu

Steve wrote: »

Get a bin of 40mm screws and fix the floorboards first.
Pull any loose nails, don't hammer them in.

3mm foam on top and then laminate or engineered floor.

So pull the nails, I get that. What are we doing with the bin of screws? Sorry if this is a thick question.

Gangu

josip wrote: »

This is good advice.
If you use a hammer you risk damaging the ceiling underneath.
Floorboards in a new build are hammered in before the ceiling underneath is done.

Cool - so we were thinking of hammering the bejaysus out of the floor prior to getting someone to lay the new floor on top. Thanks for this, I see the light!

josip

Gangu wrote: »

So pull the nails, I get that. What are we doing with the bin of screws? Sorry if this is a thick question.

Use the screws instead of nails to fasten down any loose nails.
Not thick at all, dumbo here dislodged a few plasterboard nails in our downstairs ceiling before I saw the error of my ways.

Gangu

josip wrote: »

Use the screws instead of nails to fasten down any loose nails.
Not thick at all, dumbo here dislodged a few plasterboard nails in our downstairs ceiling before I saw the error of my ways.

Thanks for being patient and pointing out to me what is probably the bleeding obvious to everyone else!

josip

Gangu wrote: »

Thanks for being patient and pointing out to me what is probably the bleeding obvious to everyone else!

It was only bleeding obvious to me after I looked up at the ceiling downstairs and thought, Uh oh...

Steve

josip wrote: »

It was only bleeding obvious to me after I looked up at the ceiling downstairs and thought, Uh oh...

And then you need more screws and filler to fix the ceiling.. yeah, been there

Wyldwood

Just a word of warning - don't go randomly putting screws in the floorboards as there could be pipes very close underneath I speak from experience from when I had a carpet layer in.

Steve

Wyldwood wrote: »

Just a word of warning - don't go randomly putting screws in the floorboards as there could be pipes very close underneath I speak from experience from when I had a carpet layer in.

Good point.

More than likely the floorboards are 18mm, 40mm screws are normally safe with 4" or 6" joists.

Always good to know whats under them tho.

Pay attention if there are scribbles on the floorboards & / or no nails in them, usually means there's a pipe under.

e.r

Gangu wrote: »

So googled this, you are saying the fibreboard would be the buffer?

Yea I did it before with a semi solid and it helped with the noise transfer downstairs.
Call into a good wood floor supplier and they will have several acoustic options not just fibre board.