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How to strengthen floor above solum

Can anyone advise what would be required to strengthen our current floor in a 1930s bungalow. It appears to be a suspended wooden floor above a solum and I would like to strengthen it to allow the installation of wet underfloor heating with a poured concrete floor. Any advice on how to do this would be great.

Comments

  • use something like this
    nearly every underfloor heating manu will do something similiar
    I'm only here while I wait for Corrie to start.

    You get no BS from me & if I think you are wrong I WILL tell you.
  • 27col
    27col Posts: 6,554 Forumite
    Just what on earth is a solum?
    I can afford anything that I want.
    Just so long as I don't want much.
  • 27col wrote: »
    Just what on earth is a solum?

    I think it's like a Gollum, but different....:D
  • cyclonebri1
    cyclonebri1 Posts: 12,827 Forumite
    I think it's like a Gollum, but different....:D

    Yeah, more miserable:D
    I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.

    Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)

    Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed
  • glubalub
    glubalub Posts: 35 Forumite
    Can anyone advise what would be required to strengthen our current floor in a 1930s bungalow. It appears to be a suspended wooden floor above a solum and I would like to strengthen it to allow the installation of wet underfloor heating with a poured concrete floor. Any advice on how to do this would be great.

    The problem with using a tray system is that it has low thermal mass and so heats up and cools down quickly. It is unlikely to be much more effective than a conventional radiator. Some of the heat from the UFH system will also be heating the void (probably ventilated) under the floor. Ideally (as you suggest in your post) underfloor heating should be encased in concrete or screed. There isn't really a cost effective way to strengthen a suspended timber floor to support a screed but if the solum is not too far below floor level it may be possible to remove the suspended timber floor and replace it with insulation, a concrete slab and screed. The insulation can be either above or below the concrete. Above would give a quicker response time and below would even out fluctuations in temperature.
  • cyclonebri1
    cyclonebri1 Posts: 12,827 Forumite
    Solum;

    "usually the name that refers to the area of lan covered by a building"

    Not a lot of people know that to quote MC, and until 2 minutes ago neither did I:D
    I like the thanks button, but ,please, an I agree button.

    Will the grammar and spelling police respect I do make grammatical errors, and have carp spelling, no need to remind me.;)

    Always expect the unexpected:eek:and then you won't be dissapointed
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