Floor joist repairs in Egham

Postcodes: TW20
Population: about 30,000
Area: Surrey
Pricing region: South East

What should you know about the ground under Egham?

Egham, Surrey: about 30,000 residents across postcode districts TW20. Neighbouring towns we cover: Staines-upon-Thames (2 miles), Chertsey (4 miles) and Ashford (4 miles).

Surrey is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Surrey: Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and detached houses in the commuter towns, and post-war estates.

Repair options we may recommend

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

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 to expect when we carry out floor joist repairs

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.
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.

Is it time for floor joist repairs? Common signs

Floor bouncing, or ornaments rattling, when someone walks across
A gap opening up between the skirting board and the floor
Floor dipping towards an outside wall or in the middle of the room

What should you budget for floor joist repairs in Egham?

Guide prices below are for homes in Egham, on South East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.

Guide prices inc VAT on South East rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Splicing or sistering a damaged joist	£280 – £450	per joist
Whole room of joists and boards	£2,250 – £6,700	per room
Sleeper wall rebuild and ventilationest.	£450 – £1,700	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.

Your floor joist repairs questions

What is the price of floor joist repairs in Egham?

Guide prices for floor joist repairs in Egham start from about £280 per joist, including VAT, on South East 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 Egham?

Yes, Egham is covered, along with postcode districts TW20. We also cover nearby Staines-upon-Thames and Chertsey.

Does the ground around Egham cause cracking?

North Surrey sits on London Clay, the south on Weald Clay, with chalk along the North Downs and sands in the west. Large gardens with mature trees on clay make seasonal subsidence a familiar problem. 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 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.

More repairs we carry out in Egham

Floor joist repairs near Egham

For a guide price on floor joist repairs in Egham, use the quote tool or send photos of the dip, any soft boards and the air bricks.