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Post by greenbooties on Sept 8, 2013 19:28:18 GMT 1
Hello, we have just purchased my house in France and we are about to start renovating the house our first job is to make the upstairs floor level as we will need to move in, as we cant stay living in a caravan too long!
Our first floor beams are not level and cave down in the middle of the beams. We want to be able to live up there and want the floor as level as possible.
so we have a few questions.
1) how can we go about making the floor level?
2)what kind of tools would we need for the job?
3)Once we have straightened the joists what type of flooring would you suggest? boards, panels etc?
Thankyou,
green
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Post by shezzaar on Sept 8, 2013 19:49:59 GMT 1
Hello Green. I finished making our floor level a few weeks back now. You can see on my blog at nsrenosinfrance.weebly.com/3/post/2013/07/roof-and-floor.htmlto answer your questions. I screw 38*75cm. timber to my joists. 1) you need to find which is your highest joist at all points, I than used a water level to get a line going all the way around my roof space 40cm above my highest joist (it can be any measurement). Once that was done I was able to get the two joists and the highest joist straightened 40cm from my line. After that, i got two clay lines (could use string) and nailed them on top (one at either end) of one of the end joists and the middle joists, making sure it is really taught. Than one by one screwing the 38*75cm timber (cut to the length of each joist) bringing them up till they just touched the clay line (make sure you are not moving the clay line). 2) Tools i used, water level, straight level, screwdriver, 38*75cm timber, 80mm screws, pen, saw, clay lines. 3) I used 22mm floor panels. If you have any extra questions on the job, feel free to pm me. |
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Post by greenbooties on Sept 9, 2013 19:35:24 GMT 1
Thankyou shezzaar,
With the flooring, would you recommend nails or screws? Do I need to put anything underneath them to make them not squeak? Should I use tongue and groove panels?
Thanks
Gree.
Ps.Your blog is very good and has helped alot with the pictures on there!
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Post by shezzaar on Sept 9, 2013 20:04:49 GMT 1
no problem, I would definitely use screws, as this would also go with your second question, it is when people use nails that they squeak, as the panels,or, floorboards rub up and down the nail and this creates the squeak. But back to the screws, definitely use them, and I would suggest 50-60mm screw, as you should use a screw that is double the size of what you are screwing in. I would also suggest doing a small pilot hole the size of the screw head, so that the head is level with the floorboard and not sticking out.
And to answer your last question, definatly use tongue and groove, as your panels are unlikely to land in the middle of a joist every time, and the tongue and groove system supports the panels, when this happens.
Thankyou for the message about my blog, I hope you enjoy the other posts I put on there when jobs are completed
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Post by zeb on Sept 10, 2013 8:50:59 GMT 1
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Post by shezzaar on Sept 10, 2013 10:09:55 GMT 1
Thanks zeb, thats the word I was looking for 'countersink'
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chris
New Member
Posts: 8 
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Post by chris on Sept 10, 2013 11:06:31 GMT 1
I had the same problem. See my solutions here. My website is in Dutch, but the language of the pictures is international. |
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Post by greenbooties on Sept 11, 2013 18:20:17 GMT 1
Thankyou all for your useful posts, suppose we better crack on and get the floor down,
Yes Chris, images do speak a thousand words, your house looks like its coming on very well!
Thanks
Green
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