Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Installing a floating floor...
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jibreger
12-16-02, 07:05 AM
I'm about to install a floating floor on the entire middle level of my house (living room, dinning room, kitchen, half bath). I've taken up the vinyl in the kitchen and there's one layer of subfloor (plywood). The living room and dinning room both (right next to the kitchen currently have carpet which i've also started to remove. There is no plywood there, just the regular finish the house had when it was built in 1994. Parts of the dinning room appear not to be level. There seems to be some sort of crack where the half bath hallway meets the dinning room and the floor slants a bit. Should i try to level (flatten) the entire floor on that level of the house, or simply mark off the kitchen as one section and complete that, then level off the living room and dinning room complete that and then the bathroom, connecting them all with different transitional moldings? I just wonder how big of a project it would be to flatten the floor on that whole level of the house since two areas already have a plywood subflooring and the biggest area doen't have a plywood subflooring but seem to be unflat in areas. I really appreciate any help
WJS_SR51
12-21-02, 09:54 PM
Good choice of words.
You may not be able to level the floor but you do want to flatten it as much as possssible.
There are powders that you mix with either water of latex to flatten and smooth floors-- usually used under vinyl floor coverings. The flatter you make the floor, the nicer the finished floating floor will be.
How big of a difference is there in elevetions in these areas ?
If it is too great you may need to treat them seperately and use transition strips. Otherwise flatten as best you can and go from there.
Check the manufactures guidelines for flatness.
Use a long straight edge and see how far out of flat you are.
If you don't get it flat enough, the floating floor will have no support and will bounce up and down sounding hollow. Too much deflection (bouncing up and down) won't be too good for the floor.
You may not be able to level the floor but you do want to flatten it as much as possssible.
There are powders that you mix with either water of latex to flatten and smooth floors-- usually used under vinyl floor coverings. The flatter you make the floor, the nicer the finished floating floor will be.
How big of a difference is there in elevetions in these areas ?
If it is too great you may need to treat them seperately and use transition strips. Otherwise flatten as best you can and go from there.
Check the manufactures guidelines for flatness.
Use a long straight edge and see how far out of flat you are.
If you don't get it flat enough, the floating floor will have no support and will bounce up and down sounding hollow. Too much deflection (bouncing up and down) won't be too good for the floor.