Joists/Flooring

Jaykay7

Hi everyone

I have just moved into a house built in the 1860's.
When I walk in the main bedroom above the front room, the wooden flooring, original, seems to shake alittle, more a slight vibration. I have been assured by numerous builders that this is normal in a house that age & I will certianly not go through the ceiling & the joists are ok. Their is no evidence that it has affected the ceiling below which is fine, no cracks at all. Is this normal?

wallbash

If you were born in 1860 , you would be a bit shaky!!

I have been assured by numerous builders

Guessing if more than one has told you the same thing ........might well be true.

chnelomi

it's completely normal it happens in my mum's house too. the old beams over time sag and take shape think it's through old furniture having been so heavy compared to today's but the style of the flooring and the way it is laid means they no longer lie true together and have a small gap. if it really gets to you you can use slate under the floor(between the beams/joists and the floor) to restrict the movement. but i think it adds to the quirkyness of old houses.

spakkker

The main reason for creaking floors, and probably your shakes, is central heating.
When built your house would have had open fires sucking in cold air from outside through draughty old sash windows- it would never have been as warm as it is with central heating , you do have central heating?

Jaykay7

Yes it has central heating.

spakkker

Forgot to explain, the timbers will shrink across the grain when dried ,but hardly at all in their length. So the nice tight floorboards when laid will have probably got gaps between them and the joists will be less of a snug fit in their supporting walls - hence more movement is likely.
Worst case scenario -are there signs of woodworm in the floorboards? Or damp walls?

Jaykay7

The survey said possible word worm & damp. I've had a remedial company tell me the wood worm is not active & the house has been damp proofed & I've been living in it for 6 weeks now & had all of the wallpaper off & it's fine. Nothing on the walls & no smell at all.

macman

This is perfectly normal for a 150 year old floor (if it is the original). I assume it is currently bare boards? If you're going to cover it, once a decent underlay and carpet are down that should minimise any vibration.

spakkker

The woodworm probably is not active - but you could think about applying some woodworm killer solution before you lay carpets/whatever as it's not expensive.
Surveyors are masters at covering themselves - not you!
People don't realise how badly damp affects timber but I doubt this is relevant in your case.
I still partly blame the central heating -but the fact that woodworm have been eating them away for however long will have weakened them for sure.
Next time you buy a house take a large person with you and get them to jump on the floor in the middle of each room -both feet off the floor together- and see how it vibrates. I have known of cases where structural engineers dare not do that in an occupied house!
Just re-read op - have you tried jumping or anyone else? Do the windows shake , maybe they won't if double glazed.

Jaykay7

Thanks, I will treat it before I put the carpet down.

Nah I don't think the windows shake. The house is certainly "quirky", but I think that's the age and character!!

Thanks mate for the comments

Doozergirl

spakkker wrote: »

Next time you buy a house take a large person with you and get them to jump on the floor in the middle of each room -both feet off the floor together- and see how it vibrates. I have known of cases where structural engineers dare not do that in an occupied house!
Just re-read op - have you tried jumping or anyone else? Do the windows shake , maybe they won't if double glazed.

If we'd have done that in one house we bought, the whole floor would probably have collapsed, the joist ends were so rotten and wet! :eek:

You might have rotten joist ends, it might be shrinkage of the wood or movement in the house putting them out of true. If you take the ceiling down you can shore the joists up a bit even if there's nothing overly wrong with them except being a bit loose where they hang. If you fancy taking the ceiling down! You can only really tell by looking.