Any bright ideas - bowed joists / uneven wooden floor?

Tucker

I am after some ideas.

In our bedroom upstairs, the centre of the floor is lower than the edges. The flooring joist in the middle of the room are bowed, so the solid chipboard on top kind of take the shape of a plate, if you will.

I want to carpet the room, so not a huge problem, except the wardrobes and bedroom furniture lean in and away from the wall and looks rubbish. Idid have them pinned to the wall previously.

I want to level the floor before carpeting, but would need to retain access to the pipework below (three copper pipes have developed leaks in the last 5 years, so I want to get to it if the need arises).

I reckon the centre of the room is perhaps 10 to 12mm lower, perhaps a tad more. 2.1 metre wardrobes end up coming away from the wall about 6 inches at the top. I had though about doubling up the underlay in the middle, but the furniture will compress it and you might see a line. I also though about maybe building up the floor with ply, but not sure how I would blend it in at the desired points.

There must be a solution. Any bright ideas??

MX5huggy

The proper job is to take the flooring all up and the cut long thin wedges to make up for the bow in the floor and put back the flooring.

If this is too disruptive then, just put a piece of wood under the feet or front edge of the wardrobes to get them straight.

Other option might be self levelling screed, but not done this.

aliasojo

I had to do as huggy suggested ....take up the flooring, glue and pin thin strips of ply to the top of the joists and plane them so the edges blended and the strips were were level. It was a lot of work but if something needs doing...etc etc.

You could put a length of wood to act as a low level plinth under the front of the wardrobes and carpet up to that. This would give you the option of being able to easily pull back the carpet for pipe access assuming the pipework wasn't actually under the wardrobe.

Plasterer

MX5huggy wrote: »

The proper job is to take the flooring all up and the cut long thin wedges to make up for the bow in the floor and put back the flooring.

If this is too disruptive then, just put a piece of wood under the feet or front edge of the wardrobes to get them straight.

Other option might be self levelling screed, but not done this.

Noooo no self levelling screed on floorboards it will run through them - this product is designed to go on solid base floors
Like your idea of lifting the boards and levelling that way

Tucker

That's a thought. Slightly messy, but I could cut it and pack on top of the joists to raise the floor in the lower areas and then put it back down or better still replace with new 18mm ply.

I just hate cutting up solid flooring!!

ormus

or take the joists out and turn them over.

Gloomendoom

I have done it by taking the floor up and attaching 3/4" battens to the side of the existing joists. It is very easy to do and doesn't rely on any skills with a plane.

Tucker

ormus wrote: »

or take the joists out and turn them over.

That's too easy. I want a more taxing solution!

Looks like another weekend lost, but taking up the floor seems the right way to go.

Plasterer

ormus wrote: »

or take the joists out and turn them over.

:rotfl: Nice easy job!

I went to paddys house "Boomin eck Paddy ur ceilings are a bit high aint it?" Paddy says "its the wifes fault, she wanted two rooms knocking into one"

kaya

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I have done it by taking the floor up and attaching 3/4" battens to the side of the existing joists. It is very easy to do and doesn't rely on any skills with a plane.

Thats the idea i was gonna suggest, easier than trying to cut and pack wedges into already bowed joists

Tucker

kaya wrote: »

Thats the idea i was gonna suggest, easier than trying to cut and pack wedges into already bowed joists

Yes, seems an option. My only concern is that the floor is sat on quite a narrow piece of timber (also for screwing to)?

My thinking now is to cut lots of thin pieces of ply into 2 inch by 8 inch sections and pack with one, two or three etc depending on how low that part is and have these every 300mm to 400mm or so. Get it all roughly level, then screwing the 18mm chipboard flooring into the packed areas of joist?

Should do the job with no planing required and I should be able to get the ply cut into one of the dimensions at the DIY shed, leaving me to just chop saw the other dimension.