Gerrards Cross · Buckinghamshire
Floor joist repairs in Gerrards Cross
If your floor in Gerrards Cross dips by a wall or bounces in the middle of the room, the joists are worth checking. Send photos of the floor, the outside wall at ground level and any air bricks, and we will tell you what the pattern suggests.
Guide price from£280per joist inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SL9, UB9
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Buckinghamshire
- Pricing region
- South East
What is the ground like in Buckinghamshire?
Gerrards Cross (SL9, UB9) has around 21,000 residents and sits in Buckinghamshire. Nearby, we also cover Rickmansworth (5 miles), Slough (6 miles) and Hillingdon (6 miles).
Buckinghamshire is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Buckinghamshire: Market-town terraces, 1930s semis in the south, and large late-20th-century estates in Milton Keynes and Aylesbury.
Which repair method suits a home in Gerrards Cross?
Splicing ends and fitting hangers
Where only the end has rotted, it is cut back to sound timber and a new piece is fixed alongside, bearing on the wall or on a new joist hanger. Missing or under-nailed hangers elsewhere are replaced at the same time. The damp in the wall must be fixed too.
Best for: Rotten joist ends in damp solid walls
Replacing joists and boards
When rot or woodworm runs through most of a floor, it is usually cheaper to replace the joists, strutting and boards together. Where joists run parallel to an outside wall, restraint straps tie the new floor back to it so the wall keeps its lateral support.
Best for: Widespread rot, or a whole floor that has dropped
What happens when we carry out floor joist repairs in Gerrards Cross?
Lift boards and inspect
On site we lift a few boards where the floor is worst and check the joist ends, sleeper walls and void with a moisture meter. Outside, we look for high ground, blocked vents and leaks keeping the timber wet.
Repair the structure
Boards are lifted and numbered if they are going back, and rotten timber is cut out. New treated timber is fixed and checked with a level before strutting, hangers and any restraint straps go in.
Relay and ventilate
Boards are relaid or replaced, skirting refitted and air bricks cleared or added outside. We point out anything that would let damp back in, such as soil heaped against the wall, so the repair lasts.
Signs you may need floor joist repairs
- Floor bouncing, or ornaments rattling, when someone walks across
- A musty smell, or fungal strands showing between the boards
- A gap opening up between the skirting board and the floor
How much will floor joist repairs cost in Gerrards Cross?
The ranges below reflect typical South East costs for floor joist repairs, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Splicing or sistering a damaged joist | £280 – £450 | per joist |
| Whole room of joists and boards | £2,250 – £6,700 | per room |
| Sleeper wall rebuild and ventilationest. | £450 – £1,700 | per room |
Rules for floor joist repairs in England
Like-for-like repairs such as crack stitching and repointing do not usually need building control approval in England, but anything that changes or strengthens the structure, such as underpinning or rebuilding a wall, does. If the work touches a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Floor joist repairs in Gerrards Cross: questions and answers
How much should I budget for floor joist repairs in Gerrards Cross?
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Gerrards Cross start from about £280 per joist, including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Gerrards Cross?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Gerrards Cross, including SL9, UB9, and from nearby places such as Rickmansworth and Slough. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Buckinghamshire crack?
The Chilterns are chalk with clay-with-flints on the tops, while the Vale of Aylesbury and Milton Keynes sit on Gault, Kimmeridge and Oxford Clays and glacial till. The vale clays are prone to seasonal shrinkage near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Why is my floor bouncy?
A bouncy floor usually means the joists are deflecting too much, often because they span too far, have lost their strutting or have been weakened by notches. It rarely means imminent failure, but it is worth checking, especially if the bounce appeared after work in the room.
Do I need building control for floor joist repairs?
Usually not for like-for-like repairs to a few joists, but replacing a whole floor structure can be building work. In Scotland that generally needs a building warrant, and in Northern Ireland council building control applies. We deal with building control where the work needs it.
Related work in Gerrards Cross
- Gable end wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Retaining wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
Floor joist repairs near Gerrards Cross
Get a free initial assessment of a sagging floor in Gerrards Cross from your photos or a call, before you commit to anything.