Loughborough · Leicestershire
Floor joist repairs in Loughborough
Houses in Loughborough and across Leicestershire 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£245per joist inc VAT
- Postcodes
- LE11, LE12
- Population
- about 65,000
- Area
- Leicestershire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
What should you know about the ground under Loughborough?
Loughborough (LE11, LE12) has around 65,000 residents and sits in Leicestershire. We also take enquiries from nearby Mountsorrel (4 miles), Coalville (8 miles) and Leicester (9 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Leicestershire. Parts of Leicestershire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Leicestershire: Victorian terraces in Leicester and Loughborough, inter-war semis and large post-war estates.
Floor joist repairs prices in Loughborough
For Loughborough we use East Midlands rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Splicing or sistering a damaged joist | £245 – £390 | per joist |
| Whole room of joists and boards | £1,950 – £5,900 | per room |
| Sleeper wall rebuild and ventilationest. | £390 – £1,450 | per room |
How we usually approach 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
What happens during floor joist repairs, step by step?
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.
What to look for before calling about floor joist repairs
- A musty smell, or fungal strands showing between the boards
- Floor dipping towards an outside wall or in the middle of the room
- Soft or spongy boards near outside walls, hearths or the bathroom
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.
Questions about floor joist repairs in Loughborough
How much will floor joist repairs cost in Loughborough?
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Loughborough start from about £245 per joist, including VAT, on East Midlands rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Loughborough?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Loughborough, including LE11, LE12, and from nearby places such as Mountsorrel and Coalville. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Is the ground in Leicestershire prone to subsidence?
Leicestershire has Mercia Mudstone, Lias clay and glacial till across much of the county, with the Coalville and Swadlincote coalfield in the north-west. Clay soils near large trees can move with the seasons. 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.
What is sistering a floor joist?
Sistering is fixing a new length of timber alongside an existing joist so the two share the load. It strengthens a notched, cracked or sagging joist without removing it, so it is quicker and less disruptive than replacement.
Other structural repairs in Loughborough
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Bowing wall repairs
- Wall tie replacement
- Underpinning
- Retaining wall repairs
Floor joist repairs near Loughborough
For a guide price on floor joist repairs in Loughborough, use the quote tool or send photos of the dip, any soft boards and the air bricks.