Any joiners on here?

[magnatom]

I'm looking for some advice on chipboard flooring, so look away if you want to read about cycling!

We had a leak in our bathroom some time ago. It got repaired, but the chipboard flooring under our laminate flooring got wet and has, as a result warped.

We are moving house and have sold, however, being the nice chap that I am I want to get the floor fixed before we leave. (it was visible to the viewers and I did say I would get it fixed before they moved in). Upon lifting the laminate there are some signs of wood rot, not serious but the blackening that you get.

I get one firm to come in and provide a quote to fix it. They quote £773.95 to remove the toilet, cut out the old flooring, replace it with like and refit the toilet. This seemed excessive to me! (it's not a huge bathroom).

The second joiner comes in today, and suggests that the wood is still solid and not in need of replacing. A little work to flatten it, and some rot treatment would do the trick. £60! He suggests he would be more than happy to do this in his own bathroom and is doing himself out of work.

So, on chipboard flooring, which has warped through getting wet, can you really keep the wood if it still retains its strength?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Moisture resistant chipboard is the green stuff V313 - it's still not waterproof though.
If it's the normal chipboard and it's damp through it'll more than likely be ruined and will need replacing.

 

[philipbh]

Isn't Marine Ply what you want as a sub surface in a bathroom situation?

 

[Over The Hill]

First the chip board.
If it has got wet and worped then the strength may have gone out of it. I would thump it with a hammer to see if it breaks.
A bathroom size chip board is really only a few pounds so it would seem easy to replace it.

Timber under the floor
Black is some sort of mould growth on the wood from it being damp and probably is not the timber rotting. Again the hammer will tell if it is sound.

I would tend to get the cheap bloke to just replace the chipboard where it has warped.
The risk you run is the buyers chasing you for a very expensive job if they repair it on your failure to do so.

 

[slowmotion]

Isn't Marine Ply what you want as a sub surface in a bathroom situation?

Proper marine ply is horrendously expensive. I think that any WBP ( water and boil-proof) exterior ply would do. An 18mm 8 by 4 sheet should cost about £35, but you might want to shop around.

 

[Mr Pig]

If the black that you see is just on the surface of the chipboard panels then I wouldn't worry about it, just flatten it. It's a DIY job with a rasp and sandpaper but if you can't be bothered then £60 sound reasonable to me.

Wooden floors in a bathroom are a disaster and often lead to expensive and extensive problems. There is only one way I know of to protect yourself in future. Tank the room.

LINK

One of these kits costs around £100 and allows you to seal the whole floor and part way up the walls with a tough plastic membrane that will stop any spilled water getting to the floor. It's orderless and easy to use, just paint it on with a brush like emulsion then clean up with water.

Tanking behind the bath and shower is also strongly recommended, I would never install a bathroom without it now. Showers and baths are notorious for suffering cracks and leaks that slowly do massive damage to the structures beneath and around them. I would say to anyone that if they have any leaks around the shower or bath don't ignore it. Get the thing out and make sure it's ok.

If you want to tank your new house give me a shout. It's dead easy and could save you a ton of grief.

 

[magnatom]

The boards are definitely still solid. There is one small area under the back of the toilet that is a little soft. The cheap guy suggested using resin there.

I think I will go with the cheap joiner. So long as the floor is level I don't think there will be a problem.

Mr Pig, actually I'm popping over to the new house tomorrow to have a look at what I hope is some minor leak damage (under the hot water tank). It shouldn't need taning there, but I will consider it for the bathroom (which I think we will be replacing.

We actually have quite a lot of work to do in the new house: knock through the kitchen/dinning room and put a new kitchen in, replace some failed double glazed units, knock a wall through in the bathroom and replace the suite etc. So if anyone knows of good builders who can do a good job for a reasonable price....

 

[Mr Pig]

So if anyone knows of good builders who can do a good job for a reasonable price....

Yes, I know good builders. A family-run business who have never needed to advertise as their reputation keeps the order books full. I've never known anyone to be unhappy with their work.

Also, I've put in a few kitchens and bathrooms myself. I'd be happy to give you the benefit of my experience, maybe help you end up with a cheaper or better kitchen or bathroom. I saved thousands on mine.

 

[magnatom]

Yes, I know good builders. A family-run business who have never needed to advertise as their reputation keeps the order books full. I've never known anyone to be unhappy with their work.

Also, I've put in a few kitchens and bathrooms myself. I'd be happy to give you the benefit of my experience, maybe help you end up with a cheaper or better kitchen or bathroom. I saved thousands on mine.

Excellent. I will PM you for details!

 

[Aperitif]

You need a bog-standard builder magnatom

 

[magnatom]

You need a bog-standard builder magnatom

Badoom tish!

 

[XmisterIS]

I had a similar problem in my bathroom when I re-decorated.

I lifted the flooring (vinyl in my case) around the bog, cut away the warped and rotten board with a circular saw (set to about 1mm above the depth of the board, so as not to hit the floorboards!), put down replacement board, covered it with tanking, put the vinyl back down.

1 hour job.

Simples