This is my last idea! http://www.forbo.com/flooring/fr-fr/
Sea grass or sisal is effective and inexpensive. It has a rubber backing and will last a good ten years even in a living room. Get your peepers onto this nice site! http://www.nakedflooring.co.uk/
I think other have said it. With our conversion upstairs at present we had wondered if chipboard would be good, laminated over then rugs scattered. The carpenter and joiner both gasped in horror. Even the best quality treated chipboard is a liability as far as they are concerned. If painted, most paints burn if they get hot enough and laminate gets as hot as hell, in fact wood is less hazardous. If treated, varnished or painted as we shall with pigment, linseed oil and turps paint it only slightly more flammable but many times less likely to be damaged by water in the event of it ever getting wet, always a risk at the top of a house as yours appears to be. Marine pine, medium knots if you don't mind them, does not cost a fortune. I have just done a 12m² floor, small I know, but under €200 including the stuff to paint it. The boards below boards would give extra soundproofing, some insulation and a quieter floor. Laminate might sag with the chipboard when it eventually starts to give.
You also appear to have put it in in lines. To be a bit sounder it should be staggered which can be every other line aligned or absolutely no alignment at all. The stuff expands and shrinks a bit too. A partition wall I put up with the tongue and groove joints tight buckled when high humidity was followed by hot weather. A floor with a bed(s) on it has that weight plus whoever is in the bed, plus other furniture presumably putting weight on it. Weigh up the pitfalls all contributors have mentioned anyway. Our two woodworkers explained it would cost us more in the long run because sooner or later it would need to be replaced, that could have been sooner.
We also asked the people building the house in front of us when they were here, the husband being a woodworker and building the entire house himself. We saw the floor was entirely chipboard, but he explained that joists and boards with insulation between are going over them, so in effect they are a ceiling. He would never dream of a chipboard floor either.
For fire separation you need to look at the whole floor including the ceiling. Recessed light fittings can cause havoc especially if non LED units are used as they are prone to over heating etc. Noise is another seriously important issue, especially as everybody has such powerful machines these days. Not so important in a house of course but noisy teenagers? I agree with you about ply as it's a much stiffer material.
I have it on my mezzanine, but covered it with carpet as it is so ugly and it does sag and causes trouble on the ceiling below.
I would use Lino if I had another chance.
Think about all the coats, and finishes etc that you will be doing non-stop
Quite honestly James, in my opinion you have made a complete boo-boo. Chip board is totally unsuited for the purpose you have chosen as everyone so far has indicated, not least in my opinion lack of any structural strength as it will sag between the joists, let alone deal with moisture, wear and tear and just about anything else. Whilst you say it will be light use, you presumably will be putting in beds and other furniture which are moderately heavy and will lead to sagging over time.
The question is how do you proceed.
If I was to buy your house as is, then I would seriously consider ripping it all up and do it all again, this time with heavy duty plywood, or proper floor board materials both of which can be painted, stained or whatever and have the necessary structural strength.
However, I also have to say that if I had done what you have done with the inevitable sense of ownership, been there and etc., I would recover the chipboard with proper tongue and groove boards, as above, laid crossways over the joists and properly screwed in place into the joists, then the screw holes filled with matching plugs cut for the purpose, sanded down and then stained and or painted.
Yes, I know they can be nailed in place but I have not found that to be an effective way of keeping boards in place and in any event chip board is not great for holding nails in place in my experience. Don't forget to allow for expansion in the summer. I cannot remember the exact gap but decent skirting usually covers it.
I have done all of this for our first floor using oak boards, that have been pre-treated for woodworm and etc. I chose oak as it gives a better stained finish that matches our interior but pine works OK as well and is obviously cheaper.
You might want to consider putting some sound isolation material between the chipboard and the replacement boards so that any sound noise is reduced.
Hope this helps.
Peter
I am not sure if chipboards comply with fire regulations, so maybe somebody can give advice on that point.
http://www.reprotecuk.co.uk/products/flexiflor-rubberised-floor-paint I'm afraid the standard colours are pretty basic but they do do special colours to order and maybe there are other manufacturers. This product is designed for floors that move and as most chipboard flooring is only 18mm (assuming you have decent ie 400mm joist centres not much more as is often the case in Brittany) there will be some movement as somebody walks over the floor or engage in bedroom activities. Maybe you could add just a simple lighter paint final coat by roller if the colour choice is simply not very nice. I do note that chipboard is described as "substrata" on several websites which means it is just that. Can I not tempt you to look at the products of a British company James Halstead which has some interesting products that I feel may be better for you as I feel that you are intrinsically trying to do something which is best not done? http://www.objectflor.de/objectflor/francais/mainsites/produits/lvt-design-flooring/expona-design230/expona-design-holz2040.html Like all true professionals I must state here that I am now retired, have never practiced in France and have no professional indenity insurance for such advice!
There was a craze in the UK for stripping, sanding and polishing wooden floors in the UK. About the time of Habitat and that stripped pine look, Biba etc. Trouble was most floors were square edged boards and quite old so there had been considerable shrinkage. We used to make up a mixture of the sawdust powder from the sanding with beeswax and then force it into the joints before final polishing and sealing. However as central heating was either being introduced for the first time (yes I do go back that far!) or was being improved, there was often ferocious shrinkage. We did not particulaly like chipboard as it was considered a rather inferior product, and much preferred ply. We never used chipboard in bathrooms, WCs, Kitchens or Utility Rooms. Chipboard has improved over the years but it's still not intended for wearing. Later on the craze for laminate flooring came in, but much of that is very cheap and quite nasty in my opinion. On our best quality jobs in up market parts of London we used to use solid oak tongued and grooved, with guaranteed moisture levels. That was an absolute joy. A few projects involved proper parquet flooring and in telephone exchanges wood block flooring which is fantatstic. I think we had that at school too. There was a craze for Amtico and even to an extent for lino, a much under rated product. Now in London it's all limestone, slate etc and even steel chequerplate. Underfloor heating is everywhere now, while we used to avoid it like the plague. In the sixties we were "modernising" buildings, taking out cornices, flushing doors, simple skirtings etc. Then there came a vogue for elaborate classical work, and now it's back to "contemporary" whatever that means. What goes around comes around. Jobs are created.
Laminate it.....cheap laminate will last considerably longer than any paint finish you may use. I bought around 70 sq m's for my first floor for around 350 euros...cheaper and more durable than carpet.
You appear to have kept your joints in the same line, was this deliberate? Structurally, it pays to stagger joints wherever possible....just a thought ;o)
Hi James
I would install a laminate board covering on to the chipboard in a bedroom...
However for a painted finish: seal the floor with a PVA solution, then a coat of wood primer/undercoat, then 1 or 2 top coats. Finally 1 or 2 coats of clear flooring varnish. All the paint and varnish used should be either water or oil based, not a mixture.
Hope that helps
Paul
Chipboard really isn't meant to be left as a finished surface: However, my office has totally untreated chipboard flooring , - waiting for me to organise a fitted carpet for last 10 years.
How about vinyl flooring?
Did you paint the underside before putting it down? If not then it will not be water proof. I agree with David, although a few years back I saw a varnished and polished chipboard floor which was different. Its only rough sawdust and glue so it will always sag between joists.
On wooden floors I use sawdust and Bona mega to fill all gaps etc then you cant see them.
Bona mega will give you a water proof seal as well.
Hi David
Assuming I'm going ahead despite your reservations, how would you recommend I seal it? PVA/water solution?
Thanks
Can I seal it and then fill again as I'll be able to see the imperfections that remain at that point?
I don't like carpet, too much of a dust trap!
No I didn't, if the paint is decent enough will it not be waterproof?
Carpet.
Paint will crack.
Fiber board is always moving.
Sports floor or garage floor paint. Chipboard is not meant to be used as a wearing finish. As an architect I'm afraid I would nor recommend painting chipboard. Specifically don't allow it to get wet- did you use bathroom grade?
Hi james florr looks well prepped I did a floor for a client simularto this a couple of years back I first gave the whole floor a coat of wallpaper paste this was first really cheap and it gave a good seal as so the paint didnt just get absorbed into the pain t then. I used two coats of acrylic as the put a few scattered rugs down it has weathered quite well…good luck.