2nd floor wood cracking

Rocksolid

Hello,


I've seen few houses so far and the 2nd floor was very poor quality, it looks like was falling down under my feet, but in the same time, I've seen that is extremely common in England.


So, how much should I trust this kind of wood floor?
For me is very weird that a floor moves when I walk on it.
So, or I make a low offer or I don't take them at all, the renovation is gonna cost as hell.

eidand

I don't find that common or normal at all. I like a proper, solid feel under my feet, not moving flooring .... dunno, maybe I expect too much?

daivid

Cracking (splintering and breaking) or creaking (moving a little and making a noise)? Creaking wouldn't worry me, it is common -especially if floorboards have been lifted for something like a heating update.

Rocksolid

daivid wrote: »

Cracking (splintering and breaking) or creaking (moving a little and making a noise)? Creaking wouldn't worry me, it is common -especially if floorboards have been lifted for something like a heating update.

What do you mean in heating update? Why they have to lift the floor?
Yes there was an heating update but on the 1st floor.


For me it moves so much, if I press it it moves a lot, walking on it more than average I've seen so far...


The point is, I'm afraid that every house I'll buy in England soon or later will be in those conditions, am I wrong? Is this one of the reasons why in England people stay for an average of 10 years in the same accommodation?

FreeBear

Rocksolid wrote: »

What do you mean in heating update? Why they have to lift the floor?

If the electrics, heating, or plumbing have been updated, lifting the floorboards is often needed to gain access to the pipes & cables. Often, when lifting the boards, assorted bits of crud gets trapped when the boards are put down again. On top of that, if they are nailed back down using the original holes, there is potential for the boards to move & flex. With chipboard flooring, ideally the boards should be screwed down and holes predrilled first.

I'm in the middle of refurbishing a room here, and have had to lift a few boards in the process. Darned things rock around on the joists even after cleaning up all the crud. A few screws in the right spots should ensure that they never move once the room is finished.

Rocksolid

FreeBear wrote: »

If the electrics, heating, or plumbing have been updated, lifting the floorboards is often needed to gain access to the pipes & cables. Often, when lifting the boards, assorted bits of crud gets trapped when the boards are put down again. On top of that, if they are nailed back down using the original holes, there is potential for the boards to move & flex. With chipboard flooring, ideally the boards should be screwed down and holes predrilled first.

I'm in the middle of refurbishing a room here, and have had to lift a few boards in the process. Darned things rock around on the joists even after cleaning up all the crud. A few screws in the right spots should ensure that they never move once the room is finished.

Thanks for the explanation, this procedure is not known by me, we use only concrete in my country.
So, is it possible to do something? I didn't understand precisely the way they do it here thanks to the wood or crappy smashed wood, but is it something duable in a short time? What is needed? Presence outside or inside? (talking about screws)


Most important, during the process of buying an house, this is an hell to handle, dealing with the price reduction etc...

G_M

Buy a bungalow. With a solid (concrete) floor. No cracking wood upstairs.

Just to confirm - my house is 150 + years old. It has wooden floorboards upstairs. I've had them all lifted and put back down twice in the 20 odd years I've lived here - once to renew central heating pipes and once for electrical re-wiring (I know. Stupid. Should have done both together!).

They are old. They creak when I walk on (some of ) them. But they've lasted 150 years!

On the plus side, I'll know if I'm lying in bed at night and a burglar tries to creep up on me as I'll hear him coming!

[Deleted User]

Its amazing really, with the reported (in this thread) bad condition of most houses available in the UK I have never heard of someone crashing through their floorboards or a house caving in without there being some other reason (gas explosion for instance or negligent support during a major refurb).

I have, however heard of wooden floor boards lasting for hundreds of years (although they can warp etc). Amazing as they're such bad quality. Apparently.

Oh well, I shall now regard every house in the UK as in a state of imminent collapse due to the terrible habit of using wooden floors for hundreds of years.

DaftyDuck

The OP has form in not liking UK housing stock... Long thread started by him a while back here....


It was... entertaining.... in its way!:D

Rocksolid

I have doubts about the collapse because the only flexible floor I've seen till now is the iron floor in big companies, which makes sense, this one is in an house and it moves too much...
I'm considering do not to take that house for this reason, I think also an English person would be concerned.

Rocksolid

DaftyDuck wrote: »

The OP has form in not liking UK housing stock... Long thread started by him a while back here....


It was... entertaining.... in its way!:D

My intention is not to offend, but to ask opinions around... For me this can't be considered safe on the long run, or anyway can't be much tolerated for the noise, that's the worst I've seen till now.



It looks normal here then, I've got my answer, but not gonna buy an house in these conditions, I'll look for better.