flooring problem in laundry

[tarn]

Hi everyone,

We've just purchased our first home and only yesterday after we started to move in did we discover that there are some loose floorboards which have cracked the laundry tiles just where we would be putting our washing machine, next to the laundry sink. The broken tiles and floorboards flex when i stand on them and I don't weigh a lot. The washing machine is a front loader so weighs an absolute ton and of course there are the added vibrations when it goes in to the spin cycle...so i imagine it would just drop through the floor one day. We plan to do a proper renovation in a few years so I'm not really fussed about broken tiles...except of course that the washer will plummet to earth if we leave it as it is. The laundry taps are right above the spot and if it was possible I'd just do a temporary compromise by just having longer hoses until we renovate. Unfortunately the way the laundry is laid out they'd have to pass across a cupboard and doorway...so not really an option. There is some underfloor space but I don't think its that roomy so it may not be an easy job to just crawl under & prop it up (and I'd always worry about the washer falling through if we did it ourselves).

So....Can someone just give me an idea of how something like this could be fixed inexpensively or even if a tradie would bother for such a small job? I have noticed we have a plumber living next door (we've only just got the keys so haven't yet introduced ourselves) so do you think its worth calling him in to have a quick look and ask his opinion?

Thanks heaps for your time guys,

tarn

[Ronaldo451]

How fussy are you and how long can you put up with a temporary fixup that doesn't look great?

If you can't get underneath to put some extra support, a compromise might be to spread the load by putting down a sheet of something for the washing machine to sit on pending a permanent solution. This could be waterproof ply or compressed cement - the floor would have to be pretty bad for it to swallow an area the size of this sheeting!! The tiles underneath would probably suffer from continued vibration while in their damaged state but it sounds like they are ready for tile heaven anyway.

Not pretty, but it would be simple, quick and at least you could get the washing done.

[bpj1968]

Fix the cause and not the symptoms. Crawl under if possible and search for the cause of the sag. Could be water damage, hopefully not termites, maybe a sunken stump. Depending on the cause a couple of wedges in the right palce would solve the movement. As for the tiles, it may be an excuse to practice tiling, There may even be a few spare ones under the house.

[tarn]

Thanks Ronaldo & Brian,

I think I will try to crawl under there & see what may be the problem is and if it doesn't look too bad I'll wedge/chock up the floor as you suggest Brian, then probably end up with the cement sheeting as well just to be sure. If it looks too questionable I might see about getting something more secure done. The broken tiles won't be visible and are pretty ugly anyway so I'm not fussed about those. I'm thinking its probably water damage as its right next to the laundry sink and below the washer taps which could have been leaking. I'm really hoping its not termites so I'll have a good look around for those. Eventually we'll be redoing the whole back of the place, opening up walls & closing off doors to make the bathroom bigger. There's a ridiculous number of doors between the vanity, the shower, the loo and the laundry so we want to simplify and ditch the 80's decor. There are gorgeous views of the bush block out the back but no windows facing onto the view so my grand plan is to open that out and make the most of the garden & patio. Meanwhile I just need a quick fix as we've got a 10 month old baby who goes through clothes like nothing else and we can't have the washing machine out of action for too long.

Anyway, I'm so glad I found your forum. Even just reading others posts & problems & solutions has been so helpful. So thanks heaps guys. Its very generous of you all to offer your experience & advice.

Cheers,
tarn