FLOOR STRUCTURE OPTIONS
You don’t have to live with creaky old floors – check out these highperformance options
At the Build It Education House (www.
buildit.co.uk/ourhouse) we opted for a heavyweight beam and block ground floor with metal posijoists for the intermediate levels
Metal web joists, like these from Donaldson Timber Engineering (www. donaldson timber
engineering.co.uk) are quick and easy to install and offer excellent access for services such as MVHR
It’s important to specify your floor structure and covering early on, as this dictates your finished levels – which impacts stairs, door thresholds, room heights etc. Factors impacting your choice will be cost, insulation and acoustics. Don’t forget service voids, too. On the ground floor, ducts should be carefully mapped out prior to foundations being poured, so there is a clear route as to where your pipework and cables are going to go.