Bathroom floorboards

[JoceAndChris]

Hi All! Hope all are well and raring to go for the inevitable spring projects!

Our bathroom crawls along at snail's pace, I'm now completely used to not having bathing or showering facilities here. I think it will take a year but will be worth it.

When we disc cut (!!!) out the cast iron bath we found some of the floorboards underneath had rotted out. They're 1920s pine I think. 2.2cm depth and 16.3 cm width. I'm having difficulty sourcing a replacement. Boards now are 2cm depth I've been told by a sawmill. I was thinking a modern redwood would be ok, cut to size, what do you think? it doesn't have to be pretty as it will be covering by a backing board and then slate floor tiles. It does need to take the weight of a bath though ( not a cast iron one this time!) The joists seem good and the rot was in a localised area under the bath seal where the shower water would have dripped down.

Has anyone had floorboards cut to size delivered to them that they've then patched in? Was it ok? Chris wants me to go to the sawmill with the sample and get it matched. It's a long way away though.I haven't found really local places who can do it as the width and depth is problem.

 

[Flyfisher]

Have you tried a local Jewson or similar rather than a long trip to a specialist sawmill? Our local Jewson has a sawmill and can cut any pieces of wood to size. They would certainly be able to cut down standard lengths of 200x50 to the size you need. Given that the new boards will not be visible I'd have thought that this would suffice, especially if you choose a higher grade (C24) of timber.

 

[paulc]

Has anyone had floorboards cut to size delivered to them that they've then patched in? Was it ok?

I had need of a couple of short pieces last year. Fortunately, I have a couple of places I can go to that can not only cut to length and rip down to width, but also plane to thickness. If your timber merchant has a planer, he could run a few lengths of rough sawn through to give you the thickness you require - As only one side would be (normally) visible, the underside doesn't need to be planed.

 

[Flyfisher]

Yes, I forgot to mention our local Jewson also has a planer and I've used it a few times to have some oak trimmed to size for door thresholds. They don't even charge for cutting/planing to size, though that may be because I have an account with them. Well worth asking the local builders merchants.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Yes, my local sawmill has all sorts of machines, and will use a planer/thickness to cut boards to any size one wants. I don't think that is unusual, so hopefully there is a business similar near to you. The one thing I would warn about is that the freshly cut boards do shrink quite a lot, certainly a few mm, so it might be an idea to get them cut 2 mm oversize and leave them in the environment that they will be put down in for a few months. The worst that will happen is that you will have to plane the edge of one board to geth them to fit. Alternatively since they will not be seen, how about using 21mm ply and making up the mm in the tile adhesive?

 

[MatthewC]

I had trouble sourcing 22mm floorboards to match the existing for my lounge. I think the first thing that happens when a salvage place gets some old boards is that they plane every board (well, the first thing is to remove all the nails obviously). Presumably they think it looks better? I ended up getting planed 20mm boards and doing a 2mm chamfer on the edge where the old and the new met. You don't notice this at all!

 

[Penners]

Joce, I have a few thoughts about this.

Firstly, are the existing floorboards tongued-and-grooved? If not, you could just patch in with 20mm floorboards, laid over some 2mm packing pieces on top of the joists. In fact, even if the existing boards are T&G, you could cut off the tongues and do the same thing, with new boards of an appropriate width. Your new boards can be any kind of softwood - you'll probably find that whitewood (Spruce) is cheaper than redwood.

Secondly, what sort of backing board will you be laying over the floorboards, before you lay your slate tiles? I'm slightly concerned that your existing suspended floor may be a bit 'live' to have tiles laid on it. If you tile a floor that is even a little bit springy, you can often find that your grout keeps cracking and/or coming out. So, if I were you, I would be screwing down a very rigid backing board before tiling - probably something like 25mm marine ply - using the largest pieces possible to make up the shape of the floor, with lots of stainless steel screws into the joists.

It's interesting to hear that you cut up your old cast iron bath. In our last house we had to remove a thick, cracked cast iron bath from upstairs that we couldn't fit through a door, let alone carry downstairs. So I covered it with an old duvet and broke it up with a sledgehammer. I had to hit it immensely hard, and I'm sure the Suffolk locals must have thought they could hear Big Ben!

 

[mims&pip]

Hi Joce

I agree with Penners, regarding the marine ply. This is the way we've prepped for tiling in several (seven, iirc) period bathrooms, kitchens, hallways etc. Screwed down at 6" intervals.....usually my job, lol! Never had any issues with grout cracking when this procedure has been followed.

Mims x

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Joce, O agree with Penners and Mims--I have done exactly that in the past----mind you, here I just need a bit of ply!!

Fly fisher, your local Jewsons sounds most obliging--ours in Fakenham looked at me very blankly when I asked if they could cut some dado for me---they seemed to think that Norwich would be the nearest one to oblige--where is yours?Possibly not so far from me --or is it-----?

 

[88v8]

Only slightly o/t, but does your project include a period shower enclosure?
If so, do not let them support the shower tray on pieces of wood.

Ivor

 

[Penners]

does your project include a period shower enclosure?

I'm sure Joce will be installing an exotic shower similar to this one. :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

Fly fisher, your local Jewsons sounds most obliging--ours in Fakenham looked at me very blankly when I asked if they could cut some dado for me---they seemed to think that Norwich would be the nearest one to oblige--where is yours?Possibly not so far from me --or is it-----?

I use the Watton branch.

 

[CliffordPope]

2mm wooden slithers on top of the joists to raise 20mm to 22mm.

Why put the discontinuity on top when it could be underneath?

 

[Penners]

Clifford - see my post about 7 layers above!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Brilliant Flyfisher, thank you --not so far from me--stop off at Waitrose too----!!!!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Happy Easter all! Belatedly a thank you for the kind and interesting replies and thoughts about the bathroom floor. My post was followed by a ski holiday and some thing of a lull on the bathroom project as we waited for the wood to be delivered and Chris to have time to fit it. I think it was worth waiting for the exact sized stuff to come by post and the new boards slotted into the surrounding boards nicely.

Thanks for the thoughts on tiling onto the boards Mr P! the only problem with using a deep marine ply is that the height of the floor will raise and obscure the bottom of the existing wood panelling on the walls. But I take your point about cracking in the grout and will try to get something very rigid down before tiling!! The floor is about a year away I think as Chris has to make all the remaining wood panelling for the walls and all the secret cupboards and the remaining plumbing.

No shower as yet - that enclosure looks superb but sadly there isn't room! We will just be having a shower above the bath and one of those glass screens as I hate shower curtains.

I had my first bath in the new tub yesterday evening! It was utter bliss!