What Is A Suspended Floor

If you ve ever found yourself scratching your head when it comes to suspended floors this article might be just the help you need the following are nine of the most common questions branz s technical helpline receives about designing and building suspended timber floors and dealing with uplift.

What is a suspended floor.

Suspended timber floors which are typically found in older houses are normally made from timber floorboards which are then attached to joists just above the foundations of a house. 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. 1 what s required to laterally support ends of floor. The floor spans between supports and will normally deflect under load to a dimension that is limited by the design used.

How to insulate suspended timber floors. This type of floor allows home owners to run electrical wires and other such elements under the floor boards. 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. They are commonly used to create floors for the upper storeys of houses but can also be sat on top of pre constructed walls to form a ground floor.

A suspended floor has been laid over the drained pool tank but it remains in place should there ever be plans to restore the swimming pool in the future. Previously floor timbers had been prone to damp and rot thanks to their direct contact with the moist ground. Suspended timber floors need to have spaces underneath ventilated via air bricks through the outer walls and gaps in any internal walls so that the air can move across the building underneath the floors to prevent the build up of moisture in the timber which could lead to fungal attack. Different types of ground floor suspended flooring.

What is a suspended slab. There are a few ways to insulate a suspended floor but the best most breathable way is to hang insulation under the floorboards. What is a suspended timber floor. A suspended floor is a ground floor with a void underneath the structure.

Suspended slabs are above ground level slabs which are not directly in contact with the earth. A suspended concrete floor is a floor slab where its perimeter is or at least two of its opposite edges are supported on walls beams or columns that carry its self weight and imposed loading. Because the floor is suspended above the ground it should absorb less.