Noisy steel frame house / floor creaks upstairs when walked on

foxhound · Nov 14, 2024 1:50 pm

Hi there,

We have recently built a double storey house by Coral Homes, it is a steel frame house.

When someone walks upstairs it cracks with every step and it is very much audible both upstairs and downstairs. It is very annoying because I think it not only cracks in the floors but in the walls as well.
We raised this concern with Coral they sent their tradesmen and had to roll the carpet back and cut the floor and did some repairs but unfortunately these cracks have gone worst sonce they repaired.

Anyone else experince this issue ? how did you go about it ?

Eng. B A · Nov 15, 2024 4:44 am

Do you have photos for the cracks? Did you get the framing structural design?

foxhound · Nov 19, 2024 11:21 am

Hi Eng BA,

My Apologies I should have mentioned that it produces a cracking noise with every step, Its not a squeak but a cracking sound. Yes we do have structural design.

Eng. B A · Nov 21, 2024 4:49 am

So it’s just noisy not actual cracks in floor or walls.
Can you post the framing design for the area with noise?

foxhound · Nov 21, 2024 9:23 pm

Eng. B A

So it’s just noisy not actual cracks in floor or walls.
Can you post the framing design for the area with noise?

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Please find photos attached. It basically creaks everywhere upstairs when we walk. If at times at a certain spot its not audible upstairs then it definietly can be heard directly underneath on ground floor.

Eng. B A · Nov 23, 2024 5:08 am

Looking at the ground floor bracing plan, in my opinion the area under bed2, bed3, bed4, bath, activity is not well braced in the X direction. You have two corners at the balcony unbraced and bracing walls are on external walls only in this area with some either in stairwell or voids (high wall/reduced capacity).
Do you have the upper floor bearers and joists design plan?

foxhound · Nov 23, 2024 10:27 pm

Thank you, here is the complete engineering report.

Any insight and feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Engineering report.pdf

Eng. B A · Nov 24, 2024 1:15 pm

I can’t find the floor joists and bearers size table. Are you sure nothing is missing from those plans?

foxhound · Nov 24, 2024 8:53 pm

Hi Eng, I have requested my builder to send that through, is it also referenced as span table ?

Eng. B A · Nov 25, 2024 1:28 pm

It could be. It has to be certified by an RPEQ engineer though.

foxhound · Nov 27, 2024 3:25 pm

Eng. B A

It could be. It has to be certified by an RPEQ engineer though.

Hi Eng BA

Did you get a chance to look at this ? https://1drv.ms/b/c/dcc1337604a1adab/Ea ... A?e=TRReIa

I was advised by the builder that floor joists and bear sizes should be in the above pdf. Its also certified by an Engineer. Please take a look and let me know.

Eng. B A · Nov 29, 2024 4:34 am

Yes, I did look at that. There is only the floor joists and bearer’s layout but not sizing table for labelled members. Can you point me to where in the document you sent are the sizes?

foxhound · Nov 29, 2024 6:22 pm

Eng. B A

Yes, I did look at that. There is only the floor joists and bearer’s layout but not sizing table for labelled members. Can you point me to where in the document you sent are the sizes?

Hi, Please see this one Form15 - Structural design.pdf, They sent this one today, it is more detailed.

Please let me know if there is anything else you want me to request them.

BuildingandLegal · Nov 29, 2024 9:43 pm

The squeaking can be a number of things, it could be the floor has been screwed but not glued & screwed in sections, it could be that the floor is glued but nailed rather than screwed. I've seen where screws screw the floor down but it penetrates the top cord near a middle section of web, the diagonal member that runs from the top plate to the bottom plate, and you get a tink sound everytime you walk near it and it presses down on the web.
Regardless you have 3mths to notify QBCC of a defect otherwise they can and will deny any claim. You need to go back to the builder and lodge a complaint at the same time

Eng. B A · Nov 30, 2024 5:16 am

In the upper floor members plan where it is marked FT21 and FT22 there should be an actual structural steel beam to pick up floor joists FT13 but rather they have connecting noggings. There is also discrepancy between the length of nogging FT22 is 1m in design table and 450mm in design plans. In my opinion this would result in extra deflection/possible failure in floor joists and bounce in floor.

Eng. B A · Nov 30, 2024 7:53 am

I have just run a quick design check on that 4.5m span connected boxed beam B1 250x70x1.5 and it appears that the beam if adequately connected would run at 130% (failed) and provide over 60mm of deflection at maximum floor loads. This is serious and needs to be addressed by the builder engineer.

foxhound · Dec 01, 2024 9:59 pm

Eng. B A

I have just run a quick design check on that 4.5m span connected boxed beam B1 250x70x1.5 and it appears that the beam if adequately connected would run at 130% (failed) and provide over 60mm of deflection at maximum floor loads. This is serious and needs to be addressed by the builder engineer.

Hi Eng BA, thianks for runing this through.

May I please know if there is anyway to get in touch with you, we need this in document to report it to the builder.

We have been really stressed about this because ths builder won't acknowledge our concerns, we need to get this documented.