New Floor

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I need to put a new floor down in my back room as the joists are rotten. The room is about 10 foot square. Any advice on the best way to remove the old floor and on tools and equipment would be greatly appreciated.
 
What sort of floor are you taking up? Do you mean you’re removing floorboards, and if so are they conventional floorboards or chipboard panels? Different techniques for each. Be very careful whatever… there’s likely to be wiring and/or pipework underneath.

And do you really mean 10 foot square? That only makes the room 5 foot by 2 foot? Edit, sorry, brainfart. I guess you mean 10x10.
 
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boogie man said:
What sort of floor are you taking up? Do you mean you’re removing floorboards, and if so are they conventional floorboards or chipboard panels? Different techniques for each. Be very careful whatever… there’s likely to be wiring and/or pipework underneath.

And do you really mean 10 foot square? That only makes the room 5 foot by 2 foot? Edit, sorry, brainfart. I guess you mean 10x10.
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Traditional T&G floorboards which are about 70 years old. The floorboards are in excellent condition, it's just the joists that are rotten.
 
You’ll have to cut one of the tongues to get the first board lifted, assuming nothing has been lifted before. You can use a floorboard saw or a circular saw if you’re. VERY careful… there’s always a risk of cutting through pipes or cables. Assuming the boards are nailed down then use a crowbar (or.a brick bolster and hammer will do at a pinch) to get the board up once cut. The rest should be easier to lift after that. At least conventional boards are easier to lift than chipboard, which are often held down with clench nails that are a b*gger to get out. I’d use screws to put the boards back, otherwise you might find they’ll squeak.
 
If the joists are gone then you're going to have to gut it. Dig out all the old stuff fit new wall plates and mount joist hangers.
I've done a bit with joists as part of my job removing and fitting home lifts.
Toolwise a reciprocating saw, impact driver, tape measure and a hammer will do, acrow props may well be needed if this is an upstairs room
Is everything rotten or is some good enough to be left and fixed into?
 
boogie man said:
You’ll have to cut one of the tongues to get the first board lifted, assuming nothing has been lifted before. You can use a floorboard saw or a circular saw if you’re. VERY careful… there’s always a risk of cutting through pipes or cables. Assuming the boards are nailed down then use a crowbar (or.a brick bolster and hammer will do at a pinch) to get the board up once cut. The rest should be easier to lift after that. At least conventional boards are easier to lift than chipboard, which are often held down with clench nails that are a b*gger to get out. I’d use screws to put the boards back, otherwise you might find they’ll squeak.
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Thank you, greatly appreciated.
 
billy nomates said:
If the joists are gone then you're going to have to gut it. Dig out all the old stuff fit new wall plates and mount joist hangers.
I've done a bit with joists as part of my job removing and fitting home lifts.
Toolwise a reciprocating saw, impact driver, tape measure and a hammer will do, acrow props may well be needed if this is an upstairs room
Is everything rotten or is some good enough to be left and fixed into?
Click to expand...
Surely the new joists will fit into the recesses that the old joists were fitted in.
 
Joists may fit but if they've been installed whilst the property was built then the brickwork would have been laid around them, effectively the joists will be longer than the internal distance wall to wall, so to get a joist in you will either have to knock out the brickwork behind it to slot it in and then draw it back - or cut the joist slot it in then brace the join with another plate..... hope that makes sense.
 
L320Rio said:
Traditional T&G floorboards which are about 70 years old. The floorboards are in excellent condition, it's just the joists that are rotten.
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If the floorboards are in excellent condition and you can get them up without damaging them too much why not re-use them?

Dave
 
Years ago (back when it was actually good) there was somebody on DIY SoS who started a job like this. After a couple of years he admitted defeat and called in experts :) If you're confident, then by all means have a go but this is one of the few jobs I wouldn't tackle myself.
 
wrap/treat ends of joists using dpc membrane, good luck with it
 
L320Rio said:
I need to put a new floor down in my back room as the joists are rotten. The room is about 10 foot square. Any advice on the best way to remove the old floor and on tools and equipment would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Are you planning on replacing the joists yourself or will you just be lifting and refitting the floorboards?
 
Thanks to all who contributed.

New floor now fitted.

On Saturday I removed the old floor and fitted the new joists.
On Sunday I laid the new floorboards and screwed them down.

Now, I am just waiting for the plaster to dry.
 
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