Keynsham · Somerset
Floor joist repairs in Keynsham
Floor joist repairs in Keynsham start underneath the boards, not on top of them. We look at the joist ends, the sleeper walls and the ventilated void before suggesting sistering, splicing or replacement, so the price reflects the timber you actually have.
Guide price from£260per joist inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BS31
- Population
- about 20,000
- Area
- Somerset
- Pricing region
- South West
Is Somerset prone to ground movement?
Keynsham, Somerset: about 20,000 residents across postcode districts BS31. Nearby places we cover include Kingswood (3 miles), Bath (6 miles) and Yate (9 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Somerset. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.
Symptoms that point to floor joist repairs
- A gap opening up between the skirting board and the floor
- Ceiling cracks below that follow the line of the joists
- Floor dipping towards an outside wall or in the middle of the room
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Keynsham
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
What is the price of floor joist repairs in Keynsham?
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Keynsham 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 carry out floor joist repairs in Keynsham?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Keynsham, including BS31, and from nearby places such as Kingswood and Bath. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Keynsham cause cracking?
Somerset mixes Lias clays, Mercia Mudstone, limestone hills and the peat and alluvium of the Levels around Bridgwater, which can settle. The former Somerset coalfield around Radstock and Midsomer Norton left recorded workings. 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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Keynsham
- Concrete repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
Floor joist repairs near Keynsham
Each joist, sleeper wall and air brick at your Keynsham property is itemised in the written quote, then fixed in price once the repair is specified.