Suspended Timber Ground Floor Construction Building Regulations

We explain how hollow or suspended floors are made and what the key building regulations that affect them are.

Suspended timber ground floor construction building regulations.

The standard method is to lay sheets of polystyrene or similar above the ground floor and then lay a screed or a timber floor over. There are three general types of ground floor construction available. Supports underneath the floor are permanent and include sleeper walls or timber props placed at regular intervals. Suspended timber floor as a requirement of the building regulations the structure should be protected against the growth of weeds and other plant life.

Timber suspended floor ground preparation remove top soil and vegetation apply total weed killer and 150mm min thick sand blinded hardcore then either i provide concrete ground cover of at least 100mm thick or ii prepare the ground to an even surface and lay a ground cover of concrete at least 50mm thick on. Unlike standard ground floor construction suspended floors are not sitting directly on the ground. Ground floor structure. At the turn of the 18th century when construction techniques moved from boarded floors installed directly on the ground to suspended timber floors over a ventilated chamber the innovation solved a significant problem.

The ground should have a layer of concrete poured across and there should be a ventilated gap of at least 150mm between the underside of the timbers and the concrete to prevent moisture. Common timber sizes used in floor construction. The standard form of construction became the timber floor structure positioned over compacted earth with an air space in between. It is now a requirement of the building regulations to insulate ground floors.

Previously floor timbers had been prone to damp and rot thanks to their direct contact with the moist ground. But some systems incorporate insulation within the floor itself such as tarmac s heatsave plus. All the figures are based on normal domestic floor loadings where the floor construction is typically 18 25mm floor boards sheets with up to 12 5mm thick plasterboard and skim underneath. Whether building a ground floor suspended timber floor or a first floor hollow floor we explain.

To avoid penalties when laying a concrete floor building regulations must be followed. Suspended timber floor how to build a floating or hollow timber floor. These are solid floor construction suspended concrete floor construction and suspended timber floor construction. For any other situation these tables may not be appropriate and you should refer to the.

The ground should have a layer of concrete poured across and there should be a ventilated gap of at least 150mm between the underside of the timbers and the concrete to prevent moisture. Building and understanding a suspended or hollow timber floor.