Thread: Floating floors - what to do?

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

To be honest Graeme, I find Baltic flooring a giant PITA. I have it here and it looks.....ok I guess (but no better than Cypress)....where it isn't disintegrating from normal traffic. Then it becomes a peeling pain in the butt. It's just too soft for flooring IMO. If you have a rolling office type chair on it then it becomes a nightmare, even with softer polyurethane wheels.

My 130 year old Baltic pine skirtings, architraves, windows, doors and picture rails look great. The floors also look great, but they are Tas oak - mainly messmate.

On reflection, Baltic pine floorboards would look great for a short period, but this be rather disfunctional and look crap. Agree with you, FF; probably why the original floor was carpeted!


Cheers

Graeme

Ian and Ray

You are both absolutely correct. Legal issues would make lifting a floor extremely hazardous.

I should have thought of that!



Cheers

Graeme

There is also another major consideration. The extra load (weight) of basically 2 layers of flooring on top of the existing may very well exceed the design criteria of the existing floor framing. The size, spacing, spans and species of timber and structural rating (eg: F11) of the floor framing together with both live and dead load calculations and a floor plan of the unit under you and your floor plan would need to be calculated first.

You also indicated that you are relocating the bathroom area to another location. This will involve pulling up the floor in that area and possibly penetrating the floor framing for drainage which has the affects of my previous post.

Suggest you pm me with a contact number and we can have a chat.

The building is company title so theoretically the company owns everything, unlike strata. Firstly, the space between the bearers contains wiring and secondly the existing flooring is part of the structure of the building whereas anything laid on top of it is seen as a furnishing. So the old floor has to either remain intact or we need the Board's approval. As a director myself, I know their view will be that Mick enjoys a new floor and they receive a solicitor's threat about fraud on a minority and diminution of a shareholder's Class Rights. No contest. This direction has already been well researched. Mate, this is the Eastern suburbs of Sydney. We don't have neighbours, we have plaintiffs and defendants. O for life in the bush; but it's hard to beat Sydney for all it offers.

We think the loss of 20% of the skirting height leaving 350mm will be visually OK.

Graeme, there really isn't a doorstep per se. There will be a difference of 50mm in height between the terrazzo on the exterior landing and our place. We'll avoid a trip step with a chamfered section at the front & back doors. It's certainly a tricky area but at least one other flat has done the a similar thing 20 years ago.

The AngelStep will be laid carefully and taped along all joins and edges.

It's been a pretty interesting project, especially when we are 5 floors above the deck. Not cheap but worthwhile to renovate without losing the period detail & feel of the place.

Thanks for all the advice and thoughts. This forum's a knockout.

mick

Originally Posted by rwbuild

There is also another major consideration. The extra load (weight) of basically 2 layers of flooring on top of the existing may very well exceed the design criteria of the existing floor framing. The size, spacing, spans and species of timber and structural rating (eg: F11) of the floor framing together with both live and dead load calculations and a floor plan of the unit under you and your floor plan would need to be calculated first.

You also indicated that you are relocating the bathroom area to another location. This will involve pulling up the floor in that area and possibly penetrating the floor framing for drainage which has the affects of my previous post.

Suggest you pm me with a contact number and we can have a chat.

We are adding another bathroom rather than relocating the old one. The extra bathroom will have a raised floor to accommodate the plumbing. Two other flats have done the same thing.

I think we are well within load limits but it's a valid point you make. Two architects have signed off on this plan. Sadly the first one died but the other is a university medal winner with serious international experience.

I'll send a PM.

mick

It's been a long haul but the reno is finally finished. The kitchen was moved to the other side of the flat into the old master bedroom. We put down 10mm of best quality AngelStep acoustic insulation over the existing Baltic Pine floorboards, then 19mm Formply taped between sheets and to skirting boards. Then another 2mm layer of rubber was topped off with 14mm Sydney Blue Gum engineered flooring. The thresholds were filled with solid Blue Gum floorboards. The floor was lifted 45mm so all doors needed adjusting and exterior doors were finished with rebated timber rather than metal angles. The acoustic transmission to our downstairs neighbour has been reduced to all but very low frequency sounds like heavy footfall.

Our luck held with the bearers in the additional bathroom and all plumbing went under the floor.

mick

New kitchen complete.jpgOld Master bedroom.JPG

Two bits of advice.

Avoid any 'Pre-Coated' type of flooring. It will show EVERYTHING. Every nick, scratch and depression will be painfully visible especially in an incident lighting.

Talcum Powder! On whatever will be the sub floor and in the tongue and grooves. The Talc will reduce the friction and the likelihood of squeaks.

Very nice Mick. Nice spot too.

They've done a great job Mick! Is that marble in the kitchen the same as the, ah shall we say "other" marble?

Is Chef happy with the kitchen?

Took me a while to see the floor. I was admiring the view out the windows
Nice job!

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

They've done a great job Mick! Is that marble in the kitchen the same as the, ah shall we say "other" marble?

Is Chef happy with the kitchen?

Thanks Brett. Our joiner is an ANU graduate and it shows. The Hoop Pine cupboards came up really well. The "other marble" is still in the shed at the farm looking for a project or a good home. I'm currently making a jarrah stand for pot plants to put on our loggia.

Chef designed the kitchen down to the last shelf & drawer. It's her shed.

mick

Originally Posted by Lappa

Took me a while to see the floor. I was admiring the view out the windows

Thanks Lappa. It's not a bad spot.

mick

View up harbour.JPG

Originally Posted by Glider

The "other marble" is still in the shed at the farm looking for a project or a good home.

Crikey boss! That is some of the best woodworking gear you can get - many uses.....

Always happy to share, Brett.

mick