Flooring

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

28 Comments

  1. i am planning to extend my bedroom with a wendy room (size 3×3) will i need a plan for this.

  2. Karen Fagan says:

    HI there, could you explain the difference between a Subfloor and a substrate, and what type of subfloors do you get

    Thank you

  3. Mfanafuthi says:

    Good Day
    I just wanted to find out if you do wooden slabs for double storey house

  4. Hi, I have a second floor slab to figure out. It’s a steel structure made with 254×145 beams as a perimeter frame, then I have ipe steel joists every 800mm made of 140×73. I am planning to pre make slabs that are 40mm thick with rebar reinforcement ( like counter tops) and place them on top one by one. I am thinking 4m long by 500mm wide are easier to manage. 25mpa concrete. Any feedback??

  5. Jayesh Maneklal says:

    Good day,
    Can you point me to a flooring association/company that can conduct some tests on high gloss laminate floors? I have some laminate floors which were imported from Germany, which have all the necessary specifications (ISO certs, etc.). After a few weeks of moving into my home I noticed the floors were scratched and the glossy layer on top was wearing out. The supplier is blaming the builder saying that the builder did not take care of the floors while they were still busy in the house, whereas the builder is saying that there is a manufacturing defect with the floors. I believe the best would be for me to send one of the floor boards that aren’t scratched to a flooring company that does tests on laminate floors to determine if the floors are indeed a defect or not.
    Your help is highly appreciated as I have been struggling with this for almost 2 years now.
    Thank you !
    Regards
    Jayesh Maneklal

  6. Contact the SABS because it should meet their standards not thumb-suck “industry standards.”

  7. DianeSpeaks says:

    We ordered porcelain tile from Home Depot 6″ x 18″ looks like wood. We hired a contractor to install the tile. His guys saw that it was warped, but installed it any way. It looks bad and I believe it’s a trip hazard. Contractor agrees. We contacted Home Depot who filed a claim with the manufacturer who responded: “It meets industry standards”. Where can I look to find the industry standards for flatness of tile and trip hazard?

  8. Apologies for taking so long to respond. This would mean stripping the existing flooring, filling the void and then filling concrete. It can probably be done relatively easily and I don’t think you would need plans because it won’t affect the structure. Unfortunately I can’t recommend anyone…

  9. Charl this is not covered by the NBR. However if the contractor has not done what he agreed to do he has breached your agreement. I guess all you can do is take legal action – or threaten to.

  10. Karen you should probably talk to an engineer, though a good architect would also be able to help. I can’t give you price indications, but it should be a lot cheaper than building a double storey home from scratch. Sounds like a really exciting project – be sure to take pix.

  11. Karan le Roux says:

    Hi there, we are buying a rectangular face-brick factory (22m x 11m) which we intend to convert into a residential dwelling. The roof is so high (held up by steel beams – no trusses) that my husband wants to make it into a double storey. Which professional should i consult with to ensure this is possible and, is this an expensive job getting an upper floor put in when the roof is already in place? Would appreciate your advice. Thank you.

  12. Hi,

    I had a small contractor install new sandstone tiles around my pool. We agreed that he would lay a new concrete foundation for the tiles with re-enforcing as we also extended the width of the pool surround. He has since only put down a screed for a 1.2m wide tiling surface around the pool. We are in disagreement with whether this is an acceptable method/standard.

    Can you please advise.

  13. Nikki I can’t advise as I don’t have sufficient knowledge regarding different systems, but I believe it is done successfully. In terms of price – no idea.

  14. The foundation walls up to the slab is called a collar-jointed wall and the gap between the bricks is infilled with mortar or concrete. The slab is then thrown and then the normal brickwork can be built up with a cavity of not be less than 50 mm or more than 110 mm wide. Ideally the width of the foundation brickwork should not be less than the thickness of the wall above.

  15. Hi, we have a oldish house and the floors are all suspended wood, I would love to replace the floors with concrete, I just think it will be better, are there any plans that have to be done for this and is it a relatively easy job? Could you also recommend anyone for the job I am located in Cape Town.

  16. Hi

    Great site, thank you!

    Regarding screeded / concrete floors. Are you able to put underfloor heating under screed? All I have heard is that it is not advised due to cracking.
    The space is 190sqm – am I correct on budgeting +- R250 per sqm for screed excluding the heating.

    Thanks
    Nikki

  17. Good day, I am extending my house by 40 sqaures, just an extra room and en suite. On the plan it says the exterior wall should be 280mm, which means it should have a gap of 50mm between inner and outer bricks. When I checked after thd builders were done, the gap is only10mm. They have laid the foundation concrete and juat built up a couple of courses, the slab has not been laid yet. Could they still build the cavity wall with 50mm gap from the slab upwards or must the same gap / cavity be from the very first course all the way to roof height

  18. Hi shadrack, Yes you will need plans as you are changing what the area is used for as well as doing structural changes to the building. These must be approved before you start doing any of the work. If you do not get plans approved and do the work you will have a problem later when the house gets sold and the plans on file with the council are different to what is standing on the property. This could cost a lot in late plan fees, penalties and fines.

  19. Hi,
    I want to convert a part/bar area attached to my house into a 2 bedroom flat> the floor area is 36 m2 would it be possible? I will have to move door and window locations, do I need a plan and must it be approved by council?

  20. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a wooden floor in a bathroom, but you will need approved plans.

  21. Kayla generally people erect smaller Wendy houses on bricks, but in all instances – strictly/legally speaking – you need approved plans. And yes, you should have a foundation.

  22. With regards to Wendy Houses, what do we need to know about floors and foundations in relation to bigger timber framed houses/wendy houses? Do we need a concrete base?

  23. Alrine Massyn says:

    Hi we’re planning to convert and existing part of our house into a 1 bedroom flat, problem is we have 2 rooms, planning an open plan lounge/kitchen below and a bedroom with a wooden floor upstairs. All we need to do upstairs is adding a toilet with shower. The Building regulations only require a waterproof floor. Is there any means that we can do that with the current wooden floor? Really hope so.
    Alrine

  24. Hannes we do not recommend anything. We are an independent web site and have no affiliation with the NHBRC or the SABS.

  25. This page is really helping for my research. Even not so detail, but easy to understood. Thanks

  26. I notice that you do not recommend the provision of movement joints for tile floor finishes.
    This should seriously be considered if the NHBC wants to promote good building practice

  27. Hi Theo,
    Most houses have a concrete floor with a cement screed on top of that. Then the carpets are fitted wall-to-wall on top that. You most likely have a concrete floor already so all you would have to do is to finish off the screed with a good quality sealer or top it off with one of Cemcrete’s products. Have a look at this article for more info: decorative-concrete-floors

  28. I am planning to renovate my home, currently it has a walll to wall carpet and would like to replace a concrete floorinf. The space is about 200m2.