Suspended Floor Construction Detail

A suspended timber floor is constructed as a timber platform of boards nailed across timber joists supported on sleeper walls and the external and internal load bearing walls surrounding them.

Suspended floor construction detail. Suspended concrete floor construction is increasingly the most common flooring system specified in residential construction. All you need to know. It s essential that suspended concrete floors are properly insulated from blasts of cold air blowing through the subfloor void underneath your feet. Ceiling joists are usually 2 by 6s or sometimes 2 by 4s if it is an older home.

They can normally span greater distances than timber joists. Durability strength and stability resistance to ground moisture fire safety. Whether building a ground floor suspended timber floor or a first floor hollow floor we explain the different options and techniques that you can use in its construction. The building regulations backstop target u value for ground floors is 0 25w m2k which should be easily achievable with 75mm or 100mm thick rigid insulation boards laid over the surface.

The construction of suspended concrete floors is similar to that of timber but can span greater distances and offerings better sound insulation properties. Beam and block floors. Some newer homes have manufactured i beam shaped joists. 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.

Previously floor timbers had been prone to damp and rot thanks to their direct contact with the moist ground. The floor can be formed in various ways using timber joists precast concrete panels block and beam system or cast in situ with reinforced concrete. Although timber ground floor construction used to be a popular method today it is not as common as the concrete alternatives. Floor joists are typically 2 by 8s 2 by 10s or 2 by 12s.

Building and understanding a suspended or hollow timber floor. This construction is similar to the timber floor above but uses either pre cast concrete planks or small pre cast concrete beams with concrete blocks laid between the beams. We explain how hollow or suspended floors are made and what the key building regulations that affect them are. A suspended floor is a ground floor with a void underneath the structure.

When selecting a floor construction there are a number of functional requirements that need to be considered.