Building an Extension #3 - Suspended Beam & Block Floor

In Part 3 of Skill Builder's series following an extension build it's time for the suspended beam and block flooring.

Generally speaking, there are two options for constructing ground floors. You can opt for a solid floor which involves laying wet concrete directly onto your ground surface or you can choose a beam and block floor which is also known as a suspended floor which allows you to achieve a low-cost concrete floor.

Beam and block flooring can also be used for suspended flooring to subsequent levels and can even be used to support partition walling.

The advantage of a beam and block floor is that you don't have to prepare the oversite saving time, materials and money because no hardcore or oversite concreting is required. If you've got an oversite which is a bit rough or spongy and you don't want to compact concrete onto it you can simply put these beams over the top of it and it doesn't matter what the ground does underneath so it's great in clay or in made up ground.

It's also a good system to use because it's fairly cheap and as demonstrated it is quick and easy to install.

Other advantages of a concrete floor include a high thermal mass which can help reduce a building's energy consumption as well as noise reducing properties and fire resistant properties.

This episode includes:

- Raking out the oversite ready to lay the weed barrier and vapour barrier which stops the moisture coming up through the ground to the underside of the beams
- Inclusion of air blocks underneath the beams
- Putting the block into the beam - it's important to clean the snots off the beams, sometimes you might need to use a brick hammer to scrape through
- Why you need to run grout over the blocks, which is basically wet sand and cement which will fill in all the little gaps and tightens the floor up

Don't forget to like the video if you want to see more like this.

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[jjkkk]

Wow! The best narration for this video. I had to listen at it over and over again. I loved when u said, 'the days to impress people with my strength is long gone.

[Bassmunchkin]

Chippy myself and I have to keep watching your videos for many great tips and experience as well as obviously the builders laughs which you are top man at... Brilliant fun whilst working

[sprintervanconversions]

Nice video! I've been on both ends of a beam and block floor, both fitting them in my site days and now designing them as a structural engineer. The practical experience is priceless, never will i spec the long beams that i used to have to lift with other labourers manually! Just a note; B&B floors are great where a suspended floor is required (clay type ground susceptible to heave) whereas slabs should only be used on well drained ground (gravel etc.). As a guide, ground types can be found through BGS maps but site specific bore holes or window samples should always be done to check the ground build up on site.

[stuartmcguinness]

Watched this video, then started a huge job replacing 1st floor of an old house with dry rot collapse well underway. I figure Serpula Lacrymans cannot eat concrete and I do intend to sell on. Especially useful was the truck handling tips - mine is a one man operation. Inside I lift beams with up to 3 block and tackle chain hoists rated 2 tonnes each with a scaffold tower. My beams are around 5.3 m and weigh in around 220kg. Also appreciated the sartorial underwear tips but I'm of a generation where we pulled our jeans up and skiddies were out of sight.

[montedaestrada]

"Im a great believer in using as much in the way of mechanical aids as you can. The time for impressing people with my strength is long gone." SNAP!

[stuartbreeze]

Brilliant video, definitely using that trolly idea .
Cheers for that

[darrenclarke]

Brilliant insight in to how this is all done by a professional. Thank you.

[ceesaydesignsolutions]

"modern housing neglect storage" so true, insightful video

[jimahearn]

Excellent way of moving those beams, I’ll be using your method next week.

[lollygriffhoop]

Bloody love this "Duncan is basically sponsored by Calvin Klein undepants!"... "cheeky look at the camera, poking my tongue out!" classic. Love you guys!!

[ashleyburton]

I like your enthusiasm! Makes a change from a miserable trades person

[chrislambert]

Thankyou for this, a great illustration. . . . Chris . . . Norwich, England

[macp]

Wow, interesting way to do floors. Definitely not done this way in the U.S. I'm absolutely sure there is some type of reinforcing material running lengthwise in those beams.

[kevin]

LOVE IT! Great Info...and Kalvin Kline woul;d be proud!

[popeyenick]

Love it and great presentation...good luck

[matthewcollins]

Loving everything been watching you look like a guy I could work with and thank you for all information every bit helps

[guitarfixerluthier]

This is an interesting one me thinks 🤔
I am all up to having a better living environment by saving energy that we use to make our environment cosy.

Suspended floor ventilation ... ?
Why do we ventilate it using the air from outside the house, it induces heat exchabge and loss through the floor up to 10%.

What I don't understand is ...
Why can we not use our internal house air to ventilate the b&b sub floor?
Nevermind the logistics and the how we do it question.

Sure it is better to vent the subfloor using home air as opposed to using the air from outside the house?

Your elaboration on a subject would help.
Thank you Skill Builder 👷‍♂️

[andyhind]

The video was worth watching for the tip you gave for moving the concrete beams. I am starting a self build project and that will be really helpful. If you have any tips for lifting beams up to a first floor that would be handy. Ill have a look at your other videos. Thanks Andy

[malcolmpate]

Hi just subscribed looking forward to more informed videos, great down to earth description, love it 👌

[dilsondasilva]

Boa noite!!
Parabéns pelo vídeo ficou muito bom, estou aqui acompanhando e deixando meu like tmj Deus abençoe sempre 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏