Wondering what’s involved when lifting floorboards for your combi boiler relocation?
If you’re relocating your combi boiler, and you know your floors will have to be lifted, you might be worried about the upheaval. You may even just want a better idea of what to expect for the type of flooring you have – and whether or not it’s going to be a difficult job.
After all, there’s things like relocating your pipework, fitting a condensate pipe and also the flue to think about! It can feel a little overwhelming.
As an experienced engineer, I’m going to tell you about how the different types of flooring will affect the job. And what to expect for your own boiler relocation!
So, let’s get started, shall we?
1. Sheet flooring or floorboards
If you have carpets, it’s important to know whether you have sheet flooring or floorboards. Sheet flooring usually has to be cut, and it could involve moving various objects around your room! It can also be messy, a bit like a sawmill, and will go everywhere and anywhere.
In a small bedroom it’s quite tricky, and then putting them back down again involves strapping and fitting wooden batons, in order to get it screwed down together so that it holds properly. If in doubt, you could opt to get a joiner to relay them.
On the other hand, floorboards usually aren’t a problem for heating engineers. They can simply be cut and lifted in certain places, before being screwed/nailed back down. It’s usually never an issue.
2. Engineered wood flooring and polished floorboards
Do you have engineered wood flooring or polished floorboards? If so, I’d usually advise you get in a specialist floor contractor. This is because floorboards are feathered together, usually glue and sealed. This means you have to break the feather and seal and cut the floorboard.
So, when it comes to putting back down, there will be a gap between the feather and the board. You usually have to get someone to refill it with plastic wood, then re-sand or re-stain. Unfortunately, they’ll never go back down the same way.
I’ve found as long as we point this out to people and be honest, they’re okay with it. However, it can be a pain. Unless you have access underneath your floor (such as in a house or bungalow), in which case you can probably avoid this unpleasantness!
3. Tiled floors or ceramic tiles
If we’re talking about these in a bathroom or small area, and we have to get pipes in for a towel rail etc. it’s possible to break a couple of tiles. Some homeowners tend to have a couple spare, otherwise you might be able to order some in.
For larger kitchen or hall areas, unfortunately the tiles have to come up and the floor redone. This is usually when it’s absolutely essential to get the pipes through and there’s no other way round.
Again, many properties will have access space underneath, such as houses or bungalows. So, don’t panic just yet!
4. Laminate flooring
It’s very common nowadays to have laminate flooring throughout entire flats. And with pipes going from one side to another, unfortunately it needs to be lifted in many cases. Once lifted, laminate usually won’t go back down – at least not by your heating engineer.
It’s possible that you can hire a joiner to replay or replace it once it’s been lifted. And again, you might be able to bypass this is you have access underneath your floors.
How long does it take to lift flooring?
If we’re working in a house with carpets, and all we need to do is pull them back and lift the floorboards, it’s not a big job. If you have around five radiators, lifting and relaying the floorboards is about a day’s work.
However, if you have laminate flooring or polished floors, I’d say add an extra 3 – 4 hours onto that. And it’s also important to note that you may not be happy with the end result, because floor laying usually isn’t a heating engineer’s specialty. If you are ever in any doubt, always call a joiner or floor specialist to help get your floor looking good again.
Our worst nightmare is when a hall floor is fully tiled, and having to lift it to get the pipes in, then finding plywood underneath. It’s a full day, or even a day and-a-half’s work of lifting, bagging and disposing. Some people might prefer to get a contractor in before the heating engineer.
Advice from an experienced engineer
My main advice is that if you’re got floorboards or sheet flooring, don’t worry too much. It should be quite a straightforward job. However, if you’ve got polished floors or sealed floors, definitely get a specialist contractor in.
For laminate flooring, an engineer can lift them, but most won’t put them back down again. It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, and it’d probably be faster to get a joiner to install new flooring.
I always put on my quote that if you’ve got polished floors, we can’t be responsible for it. It’s a messy job, and requires a floor sander and for your floors to be repolished at the end. We had a situation a couple of years ago where a young couple weren’t happy and wanted me to get the floor fixed.
We did it out of a gesture of goodwill, however, I’ve since learned to be very honest and strict with people. It’s important to explain that if you’re in any doubt, please lift it yourself or hire a contractor. We’ve actually included a disclaimer now to say that if you have any reservations, please get your own floor layer.
Remember, anyone who tells you that they can lift and relay your polished floor or laminate floor? Be in doubt. If they’re not an experienced joiner or floor layer, be incredibly wary. I can personally do a certain amount of joinery and electrics, but any good engineer most likely won’t be a specialist.
I’d rather be honest with someone and stick to what I’m good at, rather than risk disappointing anyone.
Conclusion
I hope this blog has helped you get a better idea of what’s involved when lifting floorboards for your combi boiler relocation. Just bear in mind that if you have anything other than floorboards or sheet flooring, it could be a tricky job and you may not be 100% happy with the way it looks at the end of the day. A good reason to hire a specialist flooring contractor!
Got any other questions about relocating your combi boiler? Let me know in the comments. I’m always happy to help!
