"Bouncing" Floors

[Chris Davies]

Hi All

I have recently moved into an 1830s terraced house on a very busy road. When heavy traffic (lorry or bus, but not car) travels down the road the upper floors of the house vibrate (you tend only to notice if you are sitting on something or lying on a bed - not if you are standing up). The sash windows also rattle - though this might be due to air displaced by the vehicle.

Is this something I should be concerned about or is it a fact of life with an old building next to a busy road?

My building survey noted that there is some deflection to the floors of the house (i.e. they slope towards the centre of the house). Apparently this is common in houses from the period and is caused by settlement of the supporting wall which runs through the middle of the house. Also, the house has a subsidence problem - but the survey and engineering reports have confirmed that it is confined to an extension to the main house.

Any thoughts welcome.

Chris

[G&M]

It's a fact of life on old buildings.

But you can make things better by removing the downstairs ceiling. Then you need to pack out the ends of each joist. Strengthen any weak joists (or just every other one) by bolting another joist to it's side using coachbolts whilst the old joist is supported in the middle with a prop. Then just put the ceiling back :-)

And it will still bounce a bit :-(

[Richard Faulkner]

In message , Chris Davies writes

Fact of life - too rigid, and they crack.