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Fixing a bouncy suspended floor

7 replies

Potatoduster · 16/08/2019 07:27

Seen somewhere I really like but the floor in one of the rooms moves when you walk on it.

It's just in the one room and they're no cracks on the walls inside or outside.

Has anyone had this issue and been able to fix it? The ea says it's often a days job to take up the floorboards and add some plywood to resolve it. But they would do!

It's currently under offer by someone else but I'm tempted to put an offer in. Can't get someone to look at it for another two weeks.

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mammabella1 · 16/08/2019 08:35

Depends what the problem is, don't want to end up buying it and have to replace rotten joists throughout the whole downstairs!

Our's were a little bouncy because a wall had been taken out and a floorboard laid across the hole in the floor where the wall had been IYSWIM, so the joists didn't meet in the middle. All fixed with a few joining pieces of timber, literally a couple of quid.

Best bet would be to visit with a builder/surveyor who can tell you why they are bouncy!

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johnd2 · 16/08/2019 08:37

Depends what the issue is, assuming it's upstairs it could be undersized joists which would be a huge job or even a really big room, or it could be missing struts/blocking which are fixable with difficulty or it could be simply over notched by heating or electrician. That could be resolved by sistering the joists.
The time taken would depend on the size of the room, existing flooring material, what the actual issue is. But it's unlikely to massively affect the house value. Hope that helps

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Potatoduster · 16/08/2019 09:17

It's the downstairs in a bungalow. It only affects one room and the others are fine.

That's good to know that it can either be something simple or something expensive. Will try to find someone that can tell me for sure.

Is it better to go for a builder or a surveyor? I'm guessing a builder is likely to say it's worse than it is to get the work?

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mammabella1 · 16/08/2019 09:43

If you proceed you'll get a survey anyway so that's fine - in my experience it's the surveys that tend to be over cautious rather than the builder! After the results of our survey we visited again with a builder to get a rough estimate of the work that we were advised by the surveyor would be necessary, so that we had a ballpark figure. Then obviously once we were in we got a few more quotes and went with the best one.

If you're concerned about proceeding without working out what the problem is, it can't hurt to ask to visit with a builder? I haven't actually done that before so don't know what the protocol is but other posters might be able to advise!

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flouncyfanny · 16/08/2019 14:35

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ElstreeViaduct · 16/08/2019 14:58

Our estate is full of houses with bouncy floors. Built 1980s with rubbishy chipboard floorboards. 40 years on, the edges have disintegrated a bit at the corners (it's tongue and groove), leaving bouncy patches. In our case, and all our neighbours', it's exactly what your agent says. My neighbour has been walking round a soft spot on her bedroom floor for 20 years. So far we've just done a few patch repairs but we need to decide whether to ply ours or replace.

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Potatoduster · 16/08/2019 16:48

Thanks flouncyfanny, 3 days doesn't sound cheap. Do you remember how much it cost.

ElstreeViaduct thanks this is for a 60s built. I've heard that lots of 80s built have it from the shoddy work.

As its just one room it concerns me a bit more concerned, but at the same time it is just one room.

Is it a joiner or a carpenter I should get out to have a look? I guess they would be better than a general builder?