Concrete where I did not expect it !

[johnny516]

Recently went to price a job on an upper floor in a recently constructed flat . Took up Bathroom carpet and where I expected to find MDF or similar found the floor covering to be concrete type . Think it was some sort of wood board covered with cement but not sure any idea what this could be and what prep do I need before I can tile on it ?

 

[Gazzer]

Acoustic board maybe ???

 

[Perry]

could it be concrete ?

 

[johnny516]

pretty sure it was wood covered board , thought it might be commonplace in new buildings , just never come across it before .

 

[Martino]

Most modern flat/apartments are concrete floors?.....i have recently bought a flat and this is the case there 🙂.......only way to be sure it maybe try drilling it?....tapping it....is it deflection free? if so then just go ahead and tile it like normal?

 

[prceramics]

Think if i was not sure i would ditra first

 

[White Room]

Stick some sound proofing on the floor.....

 

[steve187]

most flats tend to be concrete

 

[Rookery]

I'd have expected it to be a block n beam floor. I'd ask the builder how it was done and take it from there.

 

[Alan M]

if its a block of flats with diferent properties on each level than it is definetly concrete in there somewhere. it has to be there for the fire regs.
that doesnt mean it hasnt ply and SLC on top.
i would hit it with a hamer and see what happens. if it is reallly hard and sounds solid it is probably only concrete. if it is soft and dead sounding then its built up some way

 

[Ajax123]

if its a block of flats with diferent properties on each level than it is definetly concrete in there somewhere. it has to be there for the fire regs.
that doesnt mean it hasnt ply and SLC on top.
i would hit it with a hamer and see what happens. if it is reallly hard and sounds solid it is probably only concrete. if it is soft and dead sounding then its built up some way

No it doesn't....

 

[Alan M]

yes it does. over here anyway. and all our regs are copies of yours.
all party devisions between residencies has to be fire rated. be it a party wall in a row of houses (block on the flat) or a block of flats(pre cast fllor sections or block and beam

 

[Ajax123]

yes it does. over here anyway. and all our regs are copies of yours.
all party devisions between residencies has to be fire rated. be it a party wall in a row of houses (block on the flat) or a block of flats(pre cast fllor sections or block and beam

You don't do timber frame over there then I guess. These are generally fire proofed using fire check plasterboard on the underside of the joists. There also a large number of steel frame blocks over here especially returns e.g. Old cotton mills and the like. Also there are several modular buildings which use timber separating floors again with fire check board. Blocks of flats are by no means always built using concrete.

 

[Alan M]

to be honest iv never seen a timber frame block of flats. steel yes but thats more comercial situations.
i just went and checked my copy of our building regs.
you are right. only 30min reguired.
the concrete only applies to flats over a comercial space.

 

[Ajax123]

to be honest iv never seen a timber frame block of flats. steel yes but thats more comercial situations.
i just went and checked my copy of our building regs.
you are right. only 30min reguired.
the concrete only applies to flats over a comercial space.

Yes. The concrete over commercial spaces is to do with disproportionate collapse detailed in part a as timber cannot generally span the widths you come across. technically you could use timber but you would have to install fully supported intermediate supports e.g. load bearing pillars. the cost would be too high and the spaces below would look rubbish with pillars every five linear meters. part e will also have a bearing. What is interesting though is that it is perfectly acceptable to build timber frame flats over commercial properties once you get past he first floor of flats. I have seen a few mixed system developments

 

[Alan M]

i know of one case here a few years ago of a man that built a shop (convienince store) and 2 flats over it . he did something wrong with the floors and had to take them out and put in beam and block so that the fire officer would sign off on it.

 

[Ajax123]

i know of one case here a few years ago of a man that built a shop (convienince store) and 2 flats over it . he did something wrong with the floors and had to take them out and put in beam and block so that the fire officer would sign off on it.

Seen quite a few refurbs where similar has happened. Never had a discussion on site with a fire officer but have had many a stand up "debate"with the building inspectorate...

 

[Martino]

Dispatch Captain AJAX for all your queries and questions. he knows everything lol!....🙂

 

[Ajax123]

Dispatch Captain AJAX for all your queries and questions. he knows everything lol!....🙂

Hehe 🙂

 

[afright]

A lot of flats which are build with concrete floors are because there's something to do with fire reg's

 

[Ajax123]

A lot of flats which are build with concrete floors are because there's something to do with fire reg's

Doh!!

 

[afright]

Doh!!

That,s not very nice.

 

[Ajax123]

Sorry. It was just it made me chuckle cos we had discussed this very thing earlier in the thread and it is not actually correct ... Or at least not that simple...

 

[afright]

Apology accepted that's what I was always to believe thanks for putting me right.

 

[Peter]

Seen quite a lot of flats built where the staircase is block and bisons and the apartments are timber framed.

 

[Ajax123]

Seen quite a lot of flats built where the staircase is block and bisons and the apartments are timber framed.

Makes sense because if there were to be a fire stairs being communal areas would have different requirements to the living areas and so must provide a suitable escape route. If the stairs were wooden there would be a serious risk of entrapment...