Floor joist repairs in Kettering

Postcodes: NN15, NN16
Population: about 57,000
Area: Northamptonshire
Pricing region: East Midlands

How do local ground conditions affect floor joist repairs in Kettering?

Kettering is in Northamptonshire and takes in postcode districts NN15, NN16. About 57,000 people live there. If you are just outside Kettering, we also cover Wellingborough (7 miles), Corby (7 miles) and Rushden (9 miles).

Shrinkable clay is widespread in Northamptonshire. Historic ironstone working has left disturbed ground in places. Typical buildings in Northamptonshire: Ironstone and limestone cottages, Victorian terraces in Northampton and Kettering, and new-town estates in Corby.

Floor joist repairs prices in Kettering

For Kettering 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.

Guide prices inc VAT on East Midlands rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
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

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 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.
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.

What to look for before calling about floor joist repairs

Floor dipping towards an outside wall or in the middle of the room
Ceiling cracks below that follow the line of the joists
Floor bouncing, or ornaments rattling, when someone walks across

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 Kettering

How much should I budget for floor joist repairs in Kettering?

Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Kettering 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.

Can you survey a property in Kettering?

Yes. We take enquiries from across Kettering, including NN15, NN16, and from nearby places such as Wellingborough and Corby. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.

Why do houses in Northamptonshire crack?

Northamptonshire sits largely on Lias clay and Jurassic ironstones and limestones, with historic ironstone quarrying around Corby and Kettering. The clay vales are prone to shrinkage near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

Can floor joists be repaired without taking up the whole floor?

Yes, in most cases only the boards over the affected joists need lifting, and three or four boards are often enough to sister a joist or splice a rotten end. Widespread rot is the exception, because the whole floor must come up to remove the decay.

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.

Related work in Kettering

Floor joist repairs near Kettering

Got a bouncy or sinking floor in Kettering? Send a short video of someone walking across it, and we will tell you what it is likely to need.