Laying engineered flooring on concrete floor

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threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
Location
...on the slake
I'm just posting to let you know I didn't watch that.

I know you did really.
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
This is not a watch

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OP
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Spinney

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
In response to what may have been a serious question #8, I understood that the engineered stuff was easier to lay than tongue and groove (for a DIYer, at least), and more stable than solid wood. The house already has low ceilings, and we really don't want to make the ceilings seem any lower by fitting stuff on top of battens.

If I've chosen the wrong stuff, to be honest I really don't want to know cos I've already bought it!
 

threebikesmcginty

Corn Fed Hick...
Location
...on the slake
In response to what may have been a serious question #8, I understood that the engineered stuff was easier to lay than tongue and groove (for a DIYer, at least), and more stable than solid wood. The house already has low ceilings, and we really don't want to make the ceilings seem any lower by fitting stuff on top of battens.

If I've chosen the wrong stuff, to be honest I really don't want to know cos I've already bought it!

Am I not always serious!? I read it as an engineered joist system like ibeam or posi - engineered sheets, gotcha now!
 

Archie_tect

De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
Location
Northumberland
Spinney, I don't understand why you need to upgrade an existing concrete slab in a house... can we get back to basics or unless you don't want to talk about it anymore and are starting to wish you'd never mentioned it [I get to that point fairly quickly on P+L :tongue: ]....how do the levels work to the existing door thresholds?... why an engineered timber floor instead of self-finished flooring?... and why a separate dpm? [which should always go on the warm side of any insulation to prevent interstitial condensation building up not on the cold side].... and didn't the existing concrete slab have insulation under it?
Sorry, so many questions, so little time...
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
I watched it. Its just like that 'How it's Made' programme on the telly, I like that programme.

Yeah, NT and I like that one. As much for the random selection of items on each programme as for the processes!
 
OP
OP
Spinney

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
Spinney, I don't understand why you need to upgrade an existing concrete slab in a house... can we get back to basics or unless you don't want to talk about it anymore and are starting to wish you'd never mentioned it [I get to that point fairly quickly on P+L :tongue: ]....how do the levels work to the existing door thresholds?... why an engineered timber floor instead of self-finished flooring?... and why a separate dpm? [which should always go on the warm side of any insulation to prevent interstitial condensation building up not on the cold side].... and didn't the existing concrete slab have insulation under it?
Sorry, so many questions, so little time...
I wonder if we are talking about the same thing? My meaning for 'engineered floor' is like a laminate floor, but with a real hardwood layer on top of two layers of spruce or similar. The planks have a 'click' system (curved tongues and grooves that click together). This is an example:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/gunstock-oak-engineered-wood-flooring/invt/225318/

The purpose is purely decorative. We had a tatty old carpet, but we prefer the look of a wood floor. So here, 'engineered' is a nicer version of 'laminate flooring'.

The new wooden flooring will be a little higher than the existing carpet in the adjacent room, but not so much as to be a problem.
 

Archie_tect

De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
Location
Northumberland
Aha, that's OK then!:smile: Carry on....

You don't need to stick the plastic sheets together- the dpm under the concrete slab prevents damp... it's only there as a 'slip membrane' to allow the floating finish to move about [it expands with changes in heat and humidity] to stop the floor bonding or catching on the substrata.

Make sure you leave 10mm as an expansion gap between all the edges of the laminate all the way round and the wall [ideally mastered by the skirting boards so you can avoid those quarter round beads nailed to the skirting boards].... otherwise it could bulge and deflect. Ideally leave the boards in the room for a few days to allow them to acclimatise to the room temperature and humidity so when you lay it ot will neither shrink exposing gaps or expand causing tight spots.

[Edit: :thumbsup: :tongue: }
 
OP
OP
Spinney

Spinney

Bimbleur extraordinaire
Location
Back up north
Aha, that's OK then!:smile: Carry on....
What did you think I meant? New joists etc on top of the concrete?

Edit: that's cheating - you edited your post after I replied!!

Thanks for the tips. I spent today pulling off skirting boards (and some bits of :angry: plaster) so I can get a nice, neat edge with the skirting on top of the flooring.
 
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