How to protect flooring from steam pipe
I’m replacing a section of punky flooring in a 1924 apartment, and there’s a steam pipe that runs very close to the sub floor (basically touching it.) The original 1X4 slat sub floor was crispy, warped and failing. I want to replace it with a good plywood sub-floor, then install new oak T&G. Should I try to isolate the sub-floor from the steam pipe? How?
Replies
A piece of sheet metal will reflect much of the heat downward and spread out the rest so that there's less of a "hot spot".
You might be able to find or manufacture some thin insulated sheet metal -- two sheets of metal with about 1/16" of insulation in-between.
You've got to keep the various pieces out of contact with eachother. Is it possible to raise the floor level another 3/4" - or better yet redo that pipe?
In an ideal world, I could re-do the pipe. But it's coming out of the basement, through a cement ceiling, and it's not really "mine". It belongs to the co-op. I can't raise the floor -- it's only a patch and the rest of the floor needs to stay where it is. But your idea of keeping things from touching is the way to go. Thanks --
I know nothing about construction, but as I recall our furnace guy had an insulating cloth that he wrapped around hot pipes that were going to be close to other things. It was the modern replacement for asbestos, but I don't know what the material was. That type of insulation around the pipe might help protect the wood.