Hi,

I've just bought a cheap house (more like a shack). The existing floorboards have been eaten away in places by termites and the previous owner has sort of cut out great sections of the floor and replaced with chipboard. Then he threw carpet over the top. My building inspector says (after having the house termite-treated obviously) that I can just get some cheap thin (I think he said plyboard?) and lay it straight over the existing mess to get an even surface and then have floating floors laid on top of that. It should be noted that the house is made of tin and asbestos and is not worth spending any more money than necessary on. My questions are:

1. Can a carpenter just lay board down over the existing mess and then install the floors over that? What about the empty space between the existing floors and concrete slab? Won't that cause my floor to collapse if any weight is put on it?

2. Would a carpenter be willing to install floating (timber-look) floors for me if I buy them from Ikea or will he insist on supplying them too? I've got heaps of other odd jobs for him to do as well?

P.S. Before you say, "the house is not worth it, knock it down and build" ... I don't have the money to knock it down and build.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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