how to stiffen up bouncy victorian terraced timber floor ?

"gentlegreen" wrote in message news:_ck6g.63966$ snipped-for-privacy@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

If you have standard noggins nailed top and bottom they'll have nearly the same or better effect than straps. I'd make the noggins a tight fit between the rafters.

I'm guessing the straps are designed to be easier for the likes of me to get right :-)

The one thing I can't figure out yet is that the straps are a fixed length. I measured up last night and 400mm is just right, but what do I do where I bolt on additional joists ?

Maybe 12mm under and 18mm over, and a load of noggins - should be quite stiff. Not too convenient if you need to remove it for service access though.

========================== Better not glued, I think, at least on one side (upper or lower). You're bound to require access to the void as soon as the glue sets.

Cic.

In that case adding 2" to the underside of the joists, with glue and screws, would make a big improvement. And it means if you wanted to stiffen it all even further, you could achieve much more stiffness by adding those other methods than you ever would without the extra depth. Sounds like an opportunity to be taken.

NT

this isnt rare in old houses. Materials were more expensive than today compared to national wage, so if they had something that would do they would often use it. Including materials found onsite. Stones found onsite being incorporated into inner wall leafs was normal.

ceilings were indeed standard :)

that'll achieve little.

much more useful

thermal insulation between rooms is pointless in most buildings. For soundproofing that would help some, but you may do better with a floating floor. Floor it with half inch chip, then add sound absorbent layer, then the floorboards. Or the other way round if you want a new floor, 3/4 chip base then a thinner top floor.

If money's tight I guess you could use carpet scraps for the absorbent layer, but dont use an old carpet, unless cleaned, full of dirt.

NT

I don't know what a "herringbone strap" is. Sounds pretty fishy.

It *is* fishy. It's a strut. Thought it was. Flippin' illitriate bilders merchents.

The message from Chris Bacon contains these words:

On a scale of one to ten?

The message from Chris Bacon contains these words:

Eh - they're under tension, surely? That's a strap not a strut.

Probably would if he could be arsed..

Plus, ultimately, working as I do in a building with concrete floors, I think I need at least a little "give" under my feet ;-)

Dunno. The metal is pressed to make it rigid; it could be either, looking at it... timber h'bone struts are nailed to the sides of the joists, and take a compressive load. I'll find out how these are fitted.

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When?

I don't recall the age of the house in question being mentioned but FWIW I have lath and plaster ceilings that are certainly not original as there is the remains of wallpaper on the now concealed minor joists. (The major beams are exposed.)

Mine is around 1860. I've so far realised the inner porch door was added well into the 20th century as there was wallpaper behind it.

This is a nearby house of identical design photographed in around 1900 :-