How to reinforce a wooden floor

How to reinforce wooden floors

Wooden floors go Reinforced con appropriate techniquesrespectful of the principles of restoration (compatibility, reversibility, recognisability and minimal intervention), and there are essentially three: replacement of the damaged element, support of two elements to eliminate the load, support with a breaker.

The wooden floors are still most widespread in the buildings of the historic centers and in rural homes.

Ancient double-frame wooden attic, by Tecnaria

Furthermore, since these are normally ancient structures and built with the available wood locally (the recovered from other buildings or even boats), are often subject to static problems of various kinds.

They go therefore preservedrecovered and, if necessary, consolidatedand this is what happens fundamental for different reasons.

Contemporary wooden floor with simple framework – Getty Images

First of all, a wooden floor is very pleasing to the eye and gives great charm to any historic building. It is also light structures, elastic and totally compatible with the structural functioning of the buildings in which they are inserted: removing or replacing them can therefore alter static diagrams now consolidated, reactivating pre-existing disasters or creating new ones.

I am finally Testimonies of artisan techniques, construction site practices and construction solutions that have now fallen into disuse disusedand therefore very important as documents of historical, cultural and anthropological interest.

The main failures of wooden floors

In principle, the causes of degradation of a wooden floor there are essentially three: the Wood-eating insects (woodworms and thermals), the presence of defects in the wood and the proliferation of molds such as the very dangerous brown caries oa cubes.

Prosthesis for the consolidation of wooden beams, by Rothoblaas

In these cases the main framework of the floor (i.e. the main beam)or more often the beams of the secondary warp, they can even break.

Double-frame wooden floor – Getty Images

In this situation you can to fix it in different ways:

• replacing the element damaged or diseasedan advantageous solution especially for damaged beams of the secondary frame;
• alongside him two elements (one on each side) to lighten or eliminate the loads weighing on it;
• holding it with a rompitratta (for example made of a metal profile of IPE or HE type) placed perpendicularly under it.

However, this method is only applicable if theheight of the compartment allows it and the result is acceptable from an aesthetic point of view.

Excessive deformation due to bending of a wooden beam. Photo Getty Images

Another rather common problem in wooden floors is theexcessive deformation of the main beam following the presence of bending loads for extremely long periods prolonged (various centuries). The phenomenon, called creep or viscous deformation, mainly concerns structural members sottodimensionate or with slim sections.

Reconstruction of damaged wooden beams

In the case of damaged wooden beamsthe possible intervention consists in the replacement of the entire beam involved, or in the reconstruction of the damaged parts only: the second solution is normally preferred in the case of valuable attics, especially decorated ones.

There are two possible methods: the preparation of prosthesis in solid wood and laminated wood, or reconstruction with structural resins and wood dust.

Damages due to the wood decayespecially brown or to cubesthey are definitely more serious: in the worst cases the wood attacked by this smell completely loses its own mechanical resistancecausing the yielding of the structure involved.

I most vulnerable points it’s beam heads main: in fact, being embedded in the masonry, they are more exposed to the formation of condensation and water stagnation, i.e. the ideal conditions for the proliferation of caries.

Fixing of the prosthesis for the consolidation of a beam, by Rothoblaas

For both solutions the company Rotho Blaas srl has suitable products.

In the case of replacement, it is possible to exploit the wide range of plates, viti, connectorshandkerchiefs and tie rods specifically designed for theassembly of the panels of X-Lam of wooden buildings or laminated beamsbut can also be used to anchor the prostheses described above.

The reconstruction is instead specifically designed for the restoration and structural rehabilitation of the ancient attics.

In this case, for example, you can use the products from the series XEPOXa line of structural adhesives based on epoxy resin two-component.

Fixing wooden prostheses with epoxy resin, by Rothoblaas

To perform the procedure, the first thing to do is remove the diseased portion of the original beam, placing a new one in its place prosthesis (depending on the case of solid or laminated wood) with the same shape and size.

This, or the healthy portion of the original beam, is provided with a certain number of tie rods or metal plates concealed, properly fixed to the wood with thestructural adhesive. These fastening elements are matched by further for o grooves drilled in the other piece to be joined, so as to form a male-female joint. Once the elements are positioned, the holes are completely sealed with more epoxy resin, making the joint practically indestructible.

Stiffening of wooden floors

The most common need in renovation works It concerns the need for to stiffen the attics too elasticor of to adapt them from the point of view seismicperforming a collaborating insole of concrete, with a thickness of 4-6 cm and reinforced with a electro-welded meshadequately connected to the attic beams with special connectors.
The first problem is typical especially of old rural buildings with wooden floors, often undersized and too lean compared to the regulations or usage requirements current.

In fact, even if from a structural point of view these elements do not present dangerous damage or degradation, their great elasticity may involve the break in the middle of the new flooringespecially if made of large terracotta, stoneware or clinker elements, it also causes notable vibrations when walking on them, with an obvious sensation of insecurity for users.

CTL Base connectors by Tecnaria for stiffening wooden floors

To solve these problems the company TECNARIA spa proposes some solutions.

CTL Base for example, it consists of a pin connector made of steel with a square plate that acts as a base, with sides of 5 cm and a thickness of 4 mm, provided with two holes for the passage of the tie rodsThese in turn have a threaded stem of galvanized steel with a diameter between 8 and 12 mm.

Use of Tecnaria CTL Base connectors for stiffening wooden floors

The top rung is intentionally left protrude from the extrados of thescaffoldingin order to fit in among the armor mesh of the insole and to drown oneself in the concrete casting. The two tie rods are instead screwed together in the wood of the beams thanks to the integrated thread of the stem.

Il Omega model It has this name instead because the particular shape of the plate is reminiscent of a capital Ω. The center of the plate It is also equipped with a forum of a diameter suitable for the insertion of a single tie rod with a diameter of 10 mm.

Connectors for stiffening wooden floors Omega by Tecnaria

The particular one shape of the plate (whose dimensions are length 9 cm, width 3 cm, height 3.8 cm and thickness 4 mm) is specially designed to allow a better connection both with the electro-welded mesh of the insole and with the body of the concrete. The tie rods are available in lengths of 10, 12 or 14 cm.

A Valid alternative the additional concrete slab includes the insertion of a second table structural above the pre-existing one, warped in the direction perpendicular Now.

Stiffening of wooden floors with laminated wood panels, bu Rothoblaas

For example, the Rothoblaas company offers VGZan interesting one evolution of this system, which replaces the solid wood planks with panels rectangular to five layers of laminated wood. These are joined to the pre-existing deck with threaded bars inserted obliquelywhile along the entire perimeter of the space the connection is ensured by a suitable series of shaped plates ad L.