Bournemouth · Dorset
Floor joist repairs in Bournemouth
Houses in Bournemouth and across Dorset with suspended timber ground floors rely on dry walls and a ventilated void to stay sound. When either fails, rot usually starts at the edges of the room long before anything shows in the middle.
Guide price from£260per joist inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BH1, BH2, BH4
- Population
- about 160,000
- Area
- Dorset
- Pricing region
- South West
Why does the ground in Dorset matter for floor joist repairs?
Bournemouth, Dorset: about 160,000 residents across postcode districts BH1, BH2, BH4. Nearby, we also cover Christchurch (4 miles), Poole (5 miles) and Ferndown (6 miles).
Parts of Dorset have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Dorset: Stone and brick villages, Victorian villas in Bournemouth, and inter-war and post-war semis.
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Bournemouth
The ranges below reflect typical South West 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 | £260 – £410 | per joist |
| Whole room of joists and boards | £2,050 – £6,200 | per room |
| Sleeper wall rebuild and ventilationest. | £410 – £1,550 | per room |
Methods for floor joist repairs
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
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
From first photo to finished repair
Photos and a call
Send photos of the dip or soft area, the outside wall at ground level and any air bricks. A short call about when it started, and any recent plumbing or heating work, tells us whether the problem is local or widespread.
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.
Symptoms that point to floor joist repairs
- Ceiling cracks below that follow the line of the joists
- A gap opening up between the skirting board and the floor
- Floor dipping towards an outside wall or in the middle of the 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.
Frequently asked questions
How much will floor joist repairs cost in Bournemouth?
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Bournemouth start from about £260 per joist, including VAT, on South West rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Bournemouth?
Yes, Bournemouth is covered, along with postcode districts BH1, BH2, BH4. We also cover nearby Christchurch and Poole.
Is the ground in Dorset prone to subsidence?
Dorset mixes chalk downs, Oxford and Kimmeridge Clays in the vales, and the sands and gravels of the Poole basin. Clay vales can shrink and swell, and parts of the coast are known for landslip. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
What causes rot in floor joists?
Damp causes almost all joist rot. Joist ends in damp walls, voids with blocked air bricks, leaking pipes and high outside ground levels keep timber wet enough for fungi to grow. Replacing timber without fixing the damp usually means the rot returns.
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.
Other structural repairs in Bournemouth
- Wall tie replacement
- Chimney stack repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Underpinning
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
Floor joist repairs near Bournemouth
Get a free initial assessment of a sagging floor in Bournemouth from your photos or a call, before you commit to anything.