Lancashire · England
Floor joist repairs in Lancashire
We arrange surveys and price floor joist repairs throughout Lancashire. Lancashire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others, and we take that into account before recommending a method.
Guide price from£240per joist inc VAT
- Area
- Lancashire
- Pricing region
- North West
- Ground
- Clay in parts
- Towns listed
- 20
How do local ground conditions affect floor joist repairs in Lancashire?
Lancashire is mostly glacial till over sandstone and mudstone, with the Burnley and Accrington coalfield in the east and soft coastal and estuarine ground on the Fylde. Old mill and mine sites leave made ground in many towns.
Parts of Lancashire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Lancashire: Stone and brick mill terraces, seaside villas in Blackpool and Lytham, and inter-war and post-war semis.
From first photo to finished repair
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.
Written quote
You get a no-obligation written quote listing which joists are sistered, spliced or replaced and any sleeper wall or ventilation work. It becomes a fixed price in writing once the repair is specified.
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.
Symptoms that point to floor joist repairs
- Soft or spongy boards near outside walls, hearths or the bathroom
- Floor dipping towards an outside wall or in the middle of the room
- Floor bouncing, or ornaments rattling, when someone walks across
- A gap opening up between the skirting board and the floor
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Lancashire
Prices in Lancashire are worked out on North West rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Splicing or sistering a damaged joist | £240 – £385 | per joist |
| Whole room of joists and boards | £1,900 – £5,750 | per room |
| Sleeper wall rebuild and ventilationest. | £385 – £1,450 | 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
Sleeper walls and ventilation
Settled or damp sleeper walls are rebuilt on a sound base with a damp-proof course under new timber plates. Blocked air bricks are cleared, extra ones added where the void has dead spots, and soil or paving heaped against the outside wall is lowered.
Best for: Damp ground floor voids or joists on poor supports
Sistering a joist
A new length of treated timber, the same depth as the original, is bolted or screwed alongside the damaged joist so the two share the load. It is the quickest fix for a notched, cracked or sagging joist that is otherwise sound, usually after lifting a few boards.
Best for: Cut, cracked or sagging joists with sound ends
Do you need approval 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.
Find floor joist repairs in your Lancashire town
- Preston
- Burnley
- Blackburn
- Blackpool
- Morecambe
- Lancaster
- Lytham St Annes
- Skelmersdale
- Leyland
- Accrington
- Chorley
- Darwen
- Thornton-Cleveleys
- Nelson
- Fleetwood
- Ormskirk
- Rawtenstall
- Colne
- Poulton-le-Fylde
- Heysham
Frequently asked questions
Why do houses in Lancashire crack?
Lancashire is mostly glacial till over sandstone and mudstone, with the Burnley and Accrington coalfield in the east and soft coastal and estuarine ground on the Fylde. Old mill and mine sites leave made ground in many towns. Parts of Lancashire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Only an investigation on site can say why a particular building has moved.
How much will floor joist repairs cost in Lancashire?
On North West rates, floor joist repairs starts from about £240 per joist, including VAT. The written price depends on the extent of the damage, access and whether an engineer or building control is needed.
Is a sagging floor dangerous?
A gentle, long-standing sag is usually not dangerous, and many older floors have moved slightly over a century. A sag that is getting worse, soft boards or a floor dropping near a wall needs checking soon, because rotten joist ends can lose their bearing.
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.
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.