WHAT ARE FLOOR JOIST COVERINGS & SUB-FLOORS?
Floor joist coverings are the structural layer of material between the joist and fished flooring known as the sub-floor. Floor joist coverings typically made of plywood, OSB and chipboard ranging in thickness from 18mm -25mm thick, the subfloor is truly structural, second only to joists in this respect.
There are many types of floor build up’s that can be applied on top of the sub-floor covering dependent upon architectural requirements. With underfloor heating systems becoming more prevalent in the use of modern construction the initial floor covering is often now considered a sub-floor from which all other systems rest above.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FLOOR JOIST COVERINGS?
Provides a structural surface to walk on and work from
Improve rigidity of floor joists when fixed
Prevent falling objects being hazardous to those working in areas beneath
WHAT IS THE INSTALLATION PROCESS OF FLOOR JOIST COVERINGS?
Once the joisting works have been completed and signed off by the relevant parties as fit for purpose a working deck is required to continue construction works to the next level.
Should the floor required be at 1st floor level or any level where there is a risk of falling through the floor joists, the drop from height conditions must be set to control such risks. Often this will be achieved by erecting staging below the floor joists or by placing crash matting safety systems to the area of floor below the joisted area to soften the landing in case of a fall.
All access to areas below a joisted zone should be restricted until the sub-floor works have been completed.
Once the risks have been managed the works can commence. It is important to store the sub-floor materials properly by not overloading joists with excessive weights placed in one area as to prevent the risk of overstressing or even failure of the joists. A competent site manager working on larger projects will usually have a material loading plan available for the use of materials to be sited by crane or tele-handler, which has considered all such risk prior to works commencing.
Sub-floors are usually moisture resistant chipboard with tongue and grooved edges, the boards are glued to the top of the floor joists with a PU glue with all edge joints glued. When the glue is still uncured the boards will be fixed with a nail gun into the top of the joists using ring shank nails at approximately 300mm centres.
Dependent upon the type of construction methods of the project there may be a requirement to leave an expansion gap where sub-floorboards meet structural walls or columns etc, this detail would usually be denoted within the structural engineers' drawings and/or specification.
Payne Carpentry have extensive experience in the many types of floor joist coverings. We manage our clients’ needs by providing time and cost saving solutions by carrying out the following compulsory works procedures as part of our standard service.
We have been leading Devon’s carpentry industry with superior quality, reliable communication and efficient, effective solutions. If you have a project you would like us to work on, we would love to hear from you.