Levelling a concrete floor for laminate?

brownbake

Hi,
We were in the process of having our long hallway laminated and half way through the job the fitter told us that there would be movement as the concrete floor wasn't level and the laminate wouldn't last!!! Aaargh.
Anyway he said that the floor needed to be levelled with a water based cement mix which he could get for £200 and fit for another £50. It is about 7.5m2

Along with the fitting of the laminate this is a great additional cost and not something we budgeted for and not a great time 3 weeks before Xmas!

He was here for quite a few hours preparing, cutting and laying the laminate until the problem became evident and hasn't charged us anything for a mornings work. He said he could have done it and it would have looked good for a month but then would have started moving badly and break.

My question is has anyone used the products available on the Internet as I have found a couple that would apparently cover the area needed but at £90 or £70 delivered? He said he would show me reciepts for materials but if I can save £100 it all helps. I would be happy for him to lay the product.

The things I saw were here - http://www.tradepriced.co.uk/flooring_screed.html
and here http://www.floorheating.ltd.uk/current-order.php?OSTEP=currentorder&err=&posmsg=&USE_INV_CT=&USE_INV_ADD=

Any advice or help greatly recieved as we need this done quickly - like last week!!

Thanks

ormus

there a number of ways of dealing with this problem.
if the floor isnt that much out of level, then the usual green fibre underlay will take care of it.
otherwise lay some plywood/mdf down first. or use the self leveling compound.

brownbake

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. It isn't that much out of level IMO - just in the middle and only noticeable when they had laid basicall the whole length and gone over this discrepancy.

The thing is that I actually have the green thicker stuff but used the foam stuff so doors wouldn't have to be cut etc. I asked if the green thicker stuff could be used instead and he said that it would actually make the problem worse if anything!! Which I couldn't understand.

I don't think he is trying to rip us off but I am not sure. As said he spent a lot of time removing skirting and chopping out architraves for laminate to fit under and fitting half the floor only for the problem to be apparent!!

Are the products on the links I posted OK to use as I may get one of them if OK as it is a lot less than the £200 for the materials he was quoting?

We want a proper job and want it too last. Fitted it was gonna cost us about £22 m2 - with this addional work is gonna double our budget and basically we could have got it tiled or used real wood, though don't know if problem would still have been there?

shinjukumaster

If the floor is bare you can check it by rolling a ball across it, or using a long straight edge. It sounds like a fair caution - laminate is cheap, but it will kick up, and lift, if the floor is not very flat. Doing the rework later is not a job you want to face. Get it right first time. If its only a few millimetres across, the fibre board might do it, any more and I'd have it leveled. Most laminates specify an allowed run out of 'x' mm per metre. Check the instructions, or check with the manufacturer. Also, don't forget to leave an expansion gap all round the edge of the laminate or you'll have the same problem.

ajtrader100

An acceptable level for most laminates is 3mm over 2metres, or if you have a 1.2m straight edge then 2mm.

Most laminate planks are 1.2m in length, put it on its side (these are manufactured to be perfectly straight, and if you can pass a 2mm spacer under the board then you need an underlay.

Most underlays will remedy another 2mm, so increase the tolerance accordingly.

If you use fibreboard pads these are normally 4mm thick and compress down to 1mm, so this will remedy 3mm on top of the tolerance.

Anything greater than this will need the floor levelling first, subfloor work etc.

Hope this helps.

brownbake

ajtrader100 wrote: »

An acceptable level for most laminates is 3mm over 2metres, or if you have a 1.2m straight edge then 2mm.

Most laminate planks are 1.2m in length, put it on its side (these are manufactured to be perfectly straight, and if you can pass a 2mm spacer under the board then you need an underlay.

Most underlays will remedy another 2mm, so increase the tolerance accordingly.

If you use fibreboard pads these are normally 4mm thick and compress down to 1mm, so this will remedy 3mm on top of the tolerance.

Anything greater than this will need the floor levelling first, subfloor work etc.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice - the thing is I bought the thick fibreboard stuff and then one fitter said it would be a lot more because of cutting down 2!! doors that opened on to it. So I got the 3 mm foam stuff.

The problem is is that it is a long narrow hallway - 6.5 x 90 - 110 in door openings so I guess that problem becomes more apparent. I asked if he could have used the fibreboard and paid for doors to be cut - he said that the stuff would only accentuate the discrepancy which I found weird.

So he offered to level the floor for £250 which works out at £35m2 - a little steep I thought. Especially when a tiler offered to do the job at £30 m2 including materials - and I could have got some pretty decent tiles for £10 a metre.

I feel like I am being royally ripped off and what should have been an easy job is turning into a nightmare.

Has anyone the going rate for levelling a concrete floor suitable for laminate? A guy on the internet who sells levelling compound told me his fitters charge £10 - 12 a m2 with materials. A guy who was supposed to turn up to quote but didn't bother today told me £8.50 m2 and another who is supposed to quote tomorrow said £10m2 if 2-3 mm.

I am trying to save money but if people keep playing silly !!!!!!s I will rope my partner in to tile the floor!! Any help or advice?

Thanks

vansboy

I used a combination of foam & fibreboards, to do away with the unlevel join between existing/extension floors. I laid some foam first & boards over, in a couple of areas.

Are you able to do that?

The latex levelling compound in Wickes / B&Q is not very expensive. £16ish tocover 8mts - obviously depends on thickness - you can build it up in layers
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Special-Mortars/Latex-Floor-Levelling-Compound/invt/224669

VB