no subfloor??
not sure if this is the case with brownstones, i’m in a victorian. for those who are also in a victorian…my first floor original planks are bouncy in certain sections and/or creeky. i noticed that some of those sections don’t have a subfloor. in certain cracks between planks, i can see the basement light…in some sections, more light than should be able to see! this is obviously a construction mistake, i’d have to imagine. are there instances where subfloors aren’t used?? i also think it contributes to the cold draft that on the first floor during these recent frigid temps (basement is unfinished). am i correct in thinking that in order to correct this, the entire first floor needs to be opened up? ugh.
ditmaspark
in Flooring 11 years and 3 months ago
13
Please log in, in order to post replies!
13 replies
microfiche | 11 years and 2 months ago
just had the same situation as you – we’re in a victorian in kensington. you do have a sub-floor – the pine planks. our sub floor after we ripped out the carpet that was in every room when we bought the place looked just like yours – some large gaps and you could see light coming up from the basement in places. we considered sanding the sub floor but in the end laid a new oak hardwood floor over the top. loose boards and squeaky and ‘bendy’ areas were screwed down first. we didn’t lay plywood first. now the floor looks great, it doesn’t squeak, feels super solid.
linamaslanka | 11 years and 2 months ago
We have just had a hardwood floor installed in the ground floor – over the sort of planks you describe. Tony Deserio (718 882 2864) helped us pick out solid wood flooring at a good price. His prices are fair, the workmanship exceptional and we now have a wood floor, warm rooms and no extra views of the basement. I would recommend a solid floor rather then laminate – looks better and lasts longer.
NeoGrec | 11 years and 3 months ago
when your house was first built, there was probably linoleum on top of sub-floor in the kitchen. I would go with the plywood solution. It will stabilize the floor and give you a nice smooth surface on which to lay the new laminate. Hey, you might even want to try new-fangled lino — google marmoleum — it comes in wonderful colors, wears like iron, and is made of recycled components like sawdust. Good luck!
ditmaspark | 11 years and 3 months ago
no, i do have a floor…and a subfloor, just not in all sections of the ground floor. most of it has it, but the kitchen does not…i’m walking on what appears to be the subfloor there. that also explains why the floor transition from dining room to kitchen looks the way it does…kitchen floor sits one layer lower than the previous room’s floor it trasitions from. see image. on certain areas i see basement crack…appaears to be isolated in kitchen. no plaster in basement ceiling…u see joists and subfloor (and nails!). cellar vs. basement…i have no clue. how do u define them?? it would appear that if i’m thinking of re-laying laminate, i would have to actually rip out the floors…and decide whether to keep the subfloor or re-do. pros/cons of re-doing subfloors?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0w061xfI0CM/UuPLqy5UzAI/AAAAAAAABas/kGVwGU2-slg/s1600/CAM00003-722643.jpg
GreenThinker | 11 years and 3 months ago
He most likely means cellar. Cellar ceilings were never finished.
cate | 11 years and 3 months ago
But you shouldn’t see basement light through the cracks because there should be a layer of plaster on the basement ceiling.
slopefarm | 11 years and 3 months ago
Actually, you do have a subfloor. What you are missing is a floor. If what you have are pine planks, those were generally attached right to the joists and anything fancier — parquet, hardwood — goes on the planks. We’ve got wide plank pumpkin pine and there are all kinds of gaps. We refinished it and it looks great in a rustic sort of way but we know we’re not looking at (or walking on) anything that was meant to be anything other than a functional substrate.
ditmaspark | 11 years and 3 months ago
ya, just reseached the proper insulation of the rim joist and between joists..will definitely have to do that. our first floor is very drafty but our 2nd/3rd floors are quite toasty –> which i believe is cuz the thermostat being located on the ground floor is not allowing the radiators to cycle on/off, as it’s constantly trying to maintain steady temp. so putting a new floor on top of this original floor is just as good as ripping it out, putting down new subfloor and then new floor. ok, got it…thanks for the info!
BSDOD | 11 years and 3 months ago
It’s an old original floor, very common to just tile over it or add wood flooring. Insulating the basement ceiling is essential to cutting Down on the draft.
GreenThinker | 11 years and 3 months ago
The thing is that those planks go under walls, some walls might even just be on the planks alone. Together they really tie everything together. You can easily fix the bouncy parts by replacing the section completely or strengthening it from underneath. You could also lay 1/4-1/2 plywood on top of the whole thing if you really want piece of mind.
ditmaspark | 11 years and 3 months ago
very interesting (and i guess a relief) to hear that not having a subfloor is common. so if i am considering a new laminate floor, ur suggesting to lay it on top of the current wood floor? cuz i was thinking of ripping it out completely, put down a new subfloor, then putting down the laminate. the cost of not having to rip out and adding a subfloor is very appealing…but if some parts of the floor are bouncy (i.e., almost feel like it may break over time as there is no subfloor underneath to support), wouldn’t the problem continue to exist with a new floor laid over it?
GreenThinker | 11 years and 3 months ago
Perfectly normal, pretty much every older house has those 1 inch thick planks. Some would just finish those planks, others would put down a thin oak parquet floor. They act as a subfloor. You can simply install a new floor over it. And insulate the basement by putting insulation between the floor joists.
metalwork | 11 years and 3 months ago
i would believe so.