Wooden Floor In Barn - Floor Expert Help Please!

[Alex H]

My house is built inside a stone barn.

I've extended the original to create a bathroom and toilet and I'm now working on creating a lounge.

The room will be in a corner of the barn, with one external wall, the other stone wall being shared with my neighbour's house.

The floor at the moment is earth and due to the fact that it slopes 350mm over it's 5m length, I'm putting in a wooden floor.

Before I do that, however, I need to build a frame on the 'inside' wall (opposite the external stone wall) to support oak beams that will become the ceiling

My intention is to use 4 oak uprights to support a piece of 200 x 70 and the beams will rest on this.

My question is - do the uprights need to sit on concrete / brick pads or can I sit them directly on the earth?

Although there are no signs of damp, I do intend covering the entire floor with a waterproof membrane before laying any timbers

 

[carlb40]

Oak will be very heavy, especially beams designed to carry a load such as the ceiling. So yes some concrete footings will be required.

 

[RogerBoyle]

Yes get some padstones/footings in there first

 

[AndyT]

From what I've seen of timber framed construction, there will always need to be something solid under a vertical, so as to spread the point load over a greater area. This will normally be a sill or wall-plate (ie a horizontal timber) with the verticals held in place by smallish stub tenons.
But even a thick durable timber should not be put directly on the earth - it will need something impervious, dry and solid to lie on - good stone or concrete.
I think that separate pads would only be used for isolated columns; a horizontal timber will keep your framework under control.

 

[carlb40]

If you can level out the existing floor yourself? You could insulate and have concrete and do something like this for supporting the beams in the area they will be located?

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&sa ... x=47&ty=76

 

[RogerBoyle]

+1 for above

 

[Cowboy _Builder]

Where in France are you ?
I renovate old houses and Barns for a living and i will be working near Brive La Gaillarde next week ,so if you are close by i'd be happy to call in and advise you on any construction problems ,but from the discription of what you intend to do , concrete padstones are a must ...Allan

 

[Alex H]

Where in France are you ?
I renovate old houses and Barns for a living and i will be working near Brive La Gaillarde next week ,so if you are close by i'd be happy to call in and advise you on any construction problems ,but from the discription of what you intend to do , concrete padstones are a must ...Allan

Thanks for the offer, but I think I know I'm going to have to use padstones

You wouldn't happen to know what the French call them would you? I think I'd rather use preformed than cast my own

EDIT - it appears there is no word as they cast them in situ - off to buy some ready mixed concrete then :roll:

 

[Cowboy _Builder]

I think something like ...pierre d'appui or pierre de décharge should get you understood , but my French is not good i usually do a small drawing of what i need and wing it ,I find most builders merchants are helpfull ....Allan .

 

[hanser]

Hi Alex

Lots of good advice from the Forum. My thoughts........

Do think how you are going to insulate your floor. When I renovated our barn in France I levelled the earth floor with crushed stone then concreted over. This was some 20 years ago long before below slab insulation had become the norm. In winter the floors are a cold spot.

Its probably cheaper to make your own concrete for the padstones and buy sand, stone, cement from a merchant as opposed to prepack readymix. I would also consider a bit of weldmesh to spread load.

Take up Cowboy Builders offer if you can - he knows his oignons

Bonne chance

 

[RogerS]

....

You wouldn't happen to know what the French call them would you?...
...

Henge du Stone?

Sorry..coat..get!