Quick advice please: build up to head of stairs

[ToughButterCup]

Have a look at this please:

 

The photo shows the joists supporting the (temporary) floor, and the Durisol wall which is at the head of the (currently temporary) stairs.

The wall is 100mm short of the level of the top of the joists. I need to build the wall up to that level. There are three ways I can do so

• With Durisol alone
• With wood alone
• With a Dursiol base and timber 'bearer' built into the concrete.

My concern is to make the level of the top of this bit of wall exactly the same as the level of the top of the joists.

 

I ask because this is the head of the stairs, and so will be a high-traffic area. And, while I suspect that many of you will mutter ' There 'ee goes overthinking again ' , I'd rather have that than come on here wailing that (say) I wished I'd used a wooden bearer built into the concrete to support the chipboard floor.....

 

The problem with Durisol alone would be that fixing the chipboard directly to concrete is not the best idea. The concrete would have to be perfectly flat and the perfectly level. Concrete shrinks doesn't it?

So, it's an all wood bearer fixed into the Durisol as is, or a hefty wooden bearer concreted into some Durisol

 

Wadja fink?

 

 

[Cpd]

If it was me..... I would be levelling the top surface with cement and then putting a solid wooded bearer onto that which will then be attached by either drilling and fixing directly into the concrete core or with straps over it and down the sides and screwed into the blocks.... bedding the wood onto the cement when it’s wet should give you the opportunity to get the final timber surface dead level. Then it’s just a matter of attaching it. I may have missed the point though ?

[Big Neil]

Paving Slab?? - level, Cheap and easy to get hold of. Then bar and resin the bad boy into the concrete for stability should you wish.

 

No need to thank me for the suggestion, so few people get to share REAL genius, i'm happy to spread it around a little ?

[scottishjohn]

I like wood then you can fi to it what ever you like for a finish 

attach it to concrete with  countersunk bolts 

no different than a sole plate

[ProDave]

I think I would be building that up with wood. Choose your wood then level the top of the exiting with cement so you get it the right thickness for the wood to sit level with the joist, then  bolt it down into the concrete.

[ToughButterCup]

Thanks all. 

Thunder-bolted a wide bearer to the top of the wall : which of course wasn't level -  because I hadn't checked back to see the replies. Should'a bedded it in a bit of muck......

 

Plonka.

 

So I cut a hunk of TR26 and ripped it mm perfect on the table saw. And attached that to the ' wall plate' , set it dead level with a laser.

 

Thanks everyone for the swift responses.

Ian

[Pete]

1 hour ago, recoveringacademic said:

Thanks all. 

Thunder-bolted a wide bearer to the top of the wall : which of course wasn't level -  because I hadn't checked back to see the replies. Should'a bedded it in a bit of muck......

 

Plonka.

 

So I cut a hunk of TR26 and ripped it mm perfect on the table saw. And attached that to the ' wall plate' , set it dead level with a laser.

 

Thanks everyone for the swift responses.

Ian

If in doubt use expanding foam Ian!!