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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Building Questions >> Wooden or concrete floor? https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1123536766 Message started by mjc on Aug 8^th, 2005, 10:32pm

Title: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by mjc on Aug 8^th, 2005, 10:32pm

I have to decide whether to replace the wooden floor in the house I am doing up with a solid floor or put a new wooden floor down.

There are 3 rooms - lounge, hall and dining room which together come to about 15 sq. m.

Is there a rule of thumb as to which is cheaper to do?

Cheers

Martin

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by woodsmith on Aug 10^th, 2005, 6:27pm

Martin I think the reason you have had so few replies ::) is that without seeing the job it is impossible to give a reasoned reply.

There are so many aspects, it is impossible to say what is best for you, but then I would go for wood ;) ;D although it would almost certainly cost more, but then I wouldn't if there was no underfloor ventilation but would if access was poor but then it's quicker to lay concrete but then you have to wait for it to dry.........

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by CWatters on Aug 10^th, 2005, 7:45pm

wrote on Aug 8^th, 2005, 10:32pm:

There are 3 rooms - lounge, hall and dining room which together come to about 15 sq. m.

Sure about it being 15 sqm? Sounds a bit small for two rooms and a hall.

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by JerryD on Aug 10^th, 2005, 10:12pm

If you already have a joisted floor then it will be miles cheaper to just lay a new wooden floor (assuming the joists are ok) V313 moisture resistant t&g chipboard is a good floor deck if you're going to carpet (I assume you are otherwise a conc floor would not be wanted)

Now would be the time to insulate the floor too. Side batten the joists and lay in (tight) Celotex minimum 70mm but ideally 130mm.

Ensure all vents can still operate with the insulation in place.

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by mjc on Aug 11^th, 2005, 12:34am

Thanks for the replies so far, it's a bit late and I am knackered after 2 days of hacking off plaster :P

Rooms are actually approx 31sq. m. in total not 15!

I haven't checked all the floor yet but some joist ends are rotten and the joists are actually laid on (completey rotten) wooden bearers at one end.

Cheers

Martin

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by JerryD on Aug 11^th, 2005, 8:17pm

Sounds like you need to rip out all the timber then, including the rotten sole plates.

Replace all with tanalised timber (make sure dpc is ok under the sole plates, replace if needed.)

However it's not always easy getting new joists into old walls as they would have originally been built in as the walls went up. Why not cut the joists to span onto the sleeper walls only rather than going right across the room in one piece? That would be my preferred option.

A concrete floor (done properly) needs a minimum of 350mm gap from finished floor level down to the ground. Have you got that much gap?

350mm is needed for the screed/concrete/insulation/hardcore layers.

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by mjc on Aug 12^th, 2005, 7:20pm

wrote on Aug 11^th, 2005, 8:17pm:

A concrete floor (done properly) needs a minimum of 350mm gap from finished floor level down to the ground. Have you got that much gap?

350mm is needed for the screed/concrete/insulation/hardcore layers.

The gap is about 15-20cm.

Martin

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by JerryD on Aug 12^th, 2005, 8:01pm

Well then, to lay a conc floor will require lots of digging out :(

I assume there is a concrete oversite so this will need to be removed :(

I'd go for new timber myself, the other advantage being no drying time. All that concrete takes months to dry properly.

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by CWatters on Aug 12^th, 2005, 11:07pm

Perhaps you could do it with beam and block? I think they are 150mm deep plus insulation and screed on top.

Title: Re: Wooden or concrete floor?
Post by JerryD on Aug 13^th, 2005, 12:26am

But how would you get the beams into the old walls? They would have to span wall to wall + 100mm bearing each end, therefore would be 200mm longer than the width of the room. ???

Also they need 150mm air gap below :(