Burntwood · Staffordshire
Floor joist repairs in Burntwood
If a plumber or electrician has recently had the boards up at your Burntwood home, the joists they worked around are worth a look. Deep notches and holes in the wrong place weaken joists quickly, and sistering them is usually a short, tidy job.
Guide price from£250per joist inc VAT
- Postcodes
- WS7
- Population
- about 29,000
- Area
- Staffordshire
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
What should you know about the ground under Burntwood?
With roughly 29,000 people, Burntwood spans postcode districts WS7 in Staffordshire. Nearby, we also cover Great Wyrley (4 miles), Lichfield (4 miles) and Cannock (4 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Staffordshire. Parts of Staffordshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Staffordshire: Potteries terraces, brick villas, inter-war semis and post-war estates.
Which repair method suits a home in Burntwood?
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
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 when we carry out floor joist repairs in Burntwood?
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.
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.
Signs you may need 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 bouncing, or ornaments rattling, when someone walks across
How much will floor joist repairs cost in Burntwood?
For Burntwood we use West 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 | £250 – £400 | per joist |
| Whole room of joists and boards | £2,000 – £6,000 | per room |
| Sleeper wall rebuild and ventilationest. | £400 – £1,500 | per 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.
Floor joist repairs in Burntwood: questions and answers
What is the price of floor joist repairs in Burntwood?
Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Burntwood start from about £250 per joist, including VAT, on West Midlands 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 Burntwood?
Yes, Burntwood is covered, along with postcode districts WS7. We also cover nearby Great Wyrley and Lichfield.
Does the ground around Burntwood cause cracking?
North Staffordshire around Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kidsgrove, and the Cannock Chase area, lie on coalfields with recorded workings. Much of the rest of the county is Mercia Mudstone and glacial clay. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Will my insurance pay for rotten floor joists?
Usually not, because rot, woodworm and gradual wear are standard exclusions. Damage from a sudden escape of water, or a floor that dropped through subsidence, may be treated differently. Check your policy, and tell your insurer before permanent repairs start if either applies.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Burntwood
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Brick arch repairs
- Subsidence repairs
Floor joist repairs near Burntwood
Got a bouncy or sinking floor in Burntwood? Send a short video of someone walking across it, and we will tell you what it is likely to need.