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DIY Forum >> Building Questions >> Chipboard flooring in new build house
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Message started by Essex floor fitter on Apr 17th, 2018, 5:35pm

Title: Chipboard flooring in new build house
Post by Essex floor fitter on Apr 17th, 2018, 5:35pm

Hi, I am a woodfloor fitter that uses this site. I am after some advice from a reputable builder. I am fitting flooring in a new build 3 story house. The top floor and second floor have chipboard subfloors on joists. Now the chipboard looks like my 8 year old daughter has fitted it. But obviously the house passed building inspection. The chipboard literally Ramos up to the edges of the rooms and dive to the middles by roughly 6mm at best. They have cut the chipboard flush in doorways and started new boards and put gaffer tape over the joins which seem to be unsupported as you can push down on the join to a certain degree. And in the hall/landing area the chip board meets with a 7mm height difference. So the left room runs in to the hall and meets with the right side of the house with yes a 7mm height difference. Now I’m no builder but can tell it’s been thrown together. The customer wants us to uplift and relay the chipboard with new. But I’m dreding what I’m going to find that has caused the sub floor to be so out over a new build property. The builder has told the customer he is deeply offended by our accusations of a poorly fitted floor and told the customer that we can’t replace the chipboard as it’s tied in to the structure and that any good floor fitter would use bonding adhesive to fit his engineered floor. I’ve fitted floors for 20 years and I know that I can replace the chipboard and level the tops of the joists and lay the floor how the customer wants with a 5mm barrier foam underlay. But I’m concerned why the builder don’t want the floor lifted and what potentials is causing the chipboards to ramp up to the edges of the rooms and dive to the middles. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated

Added some photos to my gallery

Title: Re: Chipboard flooring in new build house
Post by woodsmith on Apr 17th, 2018, 6:10pm

Do you think it's possible the joists were soaking wet when they fitted them and now they have shrunk as they dried, and then whatever they have used to hang the joists has kept the outer edges at its original level?
Can you cut a hole in the floor and have a look?
The builder is probably just trying to save face and deflect any claim the householder may make.

Title: Re: Chipboard flooring in new build house
Post by Essex floor fitter on Apr 17th, 2018, 8:27pm

Hi thanks for the reply.
I have included more photos to the gallery that may help.
The builder is telling the customer that you have to account for movement in anew build house.
But surely this has to be just poor workmanship.

[album]Essex_floor_fitter&1523982617[/album]

Title: Re: Chipboard flooring in new build house
Post by woodsmith on Apr 18th, 2018, 8:46am

It's not great but sadly I've seen a lot worse. The split joist looks bad and sort of confirms the fact the wood was very wet when it was fitted. You say you can take the floor up but I assume all the walls are built up straight off the floor which is going to make life difficult. As you are fitting a floating engineered floor I'd look to level up the existing by laying 6mm ply and using something like Ardex Feather Finish rather than risk opening up a can of worms.

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