Joist repair/replacement

rlclare

I have just bought a house (in Belfast) and I knew work needed doing on the floor. The survey said to get a builder in to take floor up and properly quote the work, joists may need replacing or repairs in the master bedroom and bathroom. This may have needed the bathroom suite removing and replacing. I have had a builder in who has said it is easier/better to take the livingroom ceiling down and repair/replace from underneath which should mean leaving the bathroom alone. I have been quoted nearly £1900 to take the ceiling down, quote further work and eventually replace the ceiling. This includes labour, materials, waste disposal and VAT but I am just trying to guage if this is a reasonable quote because once the ceiling is down I am 'stuck' with this builder otherwise I'll end up wasting nearly 2 grand and not getting the work finished if his quote is too high once he has the ceiling down. Any help/advice will be gratefully received.

Furts

A sort of chicken and egg situation with your floor so you need to think carefully about exactly what is the problem. Basically taking down a ceiling is an easy way to access a floor void, and easy to repair - just put back sheets of plasterboard. But if it is your floor that is defective - like woodworm, or rot, then this still needs to be removed, whether the ceiling is there or not. So what do you do first?

To give anecdotal back up - all my ceilings were taken down to repair my floors. This meant I could see where pipes and cables were and when putting new screws into the floor boards I knew where it was safe to put them. So in this respect ceilings down is a good idea.

TeamPlum

What exactly needs doing?

My first instinct is that doing it from underneath presents it's own difficulties, as the bathroom is resting on the joists he'll be removing/replacing. How will he do that without affecting the bathroom? What about the pipework that will inevitably be routed through the joists? Check the cost of this has been accounted for, before they end up calling a plumber in.

I know I'll cop flak for this, but for such a small job, would they be willing to do cash in hand to get rid of the VAT?

When you say bathroom suite, do you mean ensuite? Or this your only bathroom? If ensuite I'd be tempted to strip out myself and reveal the floor (then replace with chipboard, rather than floorboards), save costs.

Finally, get some more builders/joiners in to see what their opinion is.

Risteard

TeamPlum wrote: »

I know I'll cop flak for this, but for such a small job, would they be willing to do cash in hand to get rid of the VAT?

I trust you are not proposing an unlawful act by the OP?

bris

£1900 sounds like a lot but then again I have taken flack for pointing out rip off prices.


Joists cost £7 probably about 4 of them needed for an average bathroom, and if they go in from the bottom then about £40 for new plasterboard.


It will take 2 days max (that's me being generous) so your builder gets a nice £1800. Now take into account he doesn't even know what needs done yet so you should really see why he shouldn't get the job.


The best way to do this however is to do it properly and lift the floor not take down the ceiling. If the joists are rotten then there is a good chance a lot of the floor will be rotten too. Your builders way will ignore this fact. So when he takes down the ceiling and cuts out the joists only to see rotten floor boards he's going to charge a hell of a lot more to put this right too, and that can't be done from below.

Furts

bris wrote: »

£1900 sounds like a lot but then again I have taken flack for pointing out rip off prices.


Joists cost £7 probably about 4 of them needed for an average bathroom, and if they go in from the bottom then about £40 for new plasterboard.


It will take 2 days max (that's me being generous) so your builder gets a nice £1800. Now take into account he doesn't even know what needs done yet so you should really see why he shouldn't get the job.


The best way to do this however is to do it properly and lift the floor not take down the ceiling. If the joists are rotten then there is a good chance a lot of the floor will be rotten too. Your builders way will ignore this fact. So when he takes down the ceiling and cuts out the joists only to see rotten floor boards he's going to charge a hell of a lot more to put this right too, and that can't be done from below.

Perhaps not ... the survey said issues probably exist but what and where remain unknown until it is all investigated. No point in taking up sound floors. So one could argue ceilings may have to come down to establish what and where the problems first are.

bris

Furts wrote: »

Perhaps not ... the survey said issues probably exist but what and where remain unknown until it is all investigated. No point in taking up sound floors. So one could argue ceilings may have to come down to establish what and where the problems first are.

But the OP clearly states that they knew work will be needed on the floor. No point in ruining a ceiling when you know the floor needs work anyway.

nobile

We had an upstairs bathroom leak a few years ago which meant the downstairs ceiling had to be completely removed, replaced with new boards and re-skimmed. Cost about £500-£600 and that was through the insurance (no joist work)

£1900 seems a lot