Laminate flooring over york stone - help please!

jooper33

Hi there, can anyone offer some advice please????

I'd like to lay Quickstep laminate flooring (the plank type) over an exisitng york stone floor in the kitchen (it's a natural stone in big heavy slabs)
Problem is it's uneven by as much as 7mm in places, I don't mean with regards to the overall level of the room, just from slab to slab due to the shapes and the slopes in the pointing inbetween - if that makes sense.

So my question is, what can I do to ensure the laminate ends up on a
fairly even surface. Initially I was going to lay hardboard down first but the same problem will arise I guess unless I can absorb the difference in depth somehow.

Point to mention, I don't want to use concrete or self leveling compound as I may want the old stone floor back one day.

Many thanks in anticipation to anyone who can help.........

olias

Sorry, can't let this pass without saying...noooooooooooooo! How could you possibly think about covering it up? I bet it looks beautiful, and I would kill for a lovely stone floor like that!

Olias

gmgmgm

I'm with Olias on this one! Maybe if you really don't like the proper stone floor, buy a rug until you do.

fiddiwebb

Might be a problem getting it level without lumps & bumps.

I've used a kind of wood fibre board before, its green coloured a sold in square sheets for laying under laminate but that was on uneven floorboards.

But If I remember rightly it is only 5-6mm thick so you would really need something thicker.

You could put boarding down but it would have to be quite thick so it doesn't flex.

I agree with the other posters here it would be a shame to cover your york stone flooring unless it is in bad condition, if it's cold how about some furry slippers

Sunnyday

The green boards suggested above will do the best job, the ones that we bought were rectangular and covered an old concrete floor which was in our previous house.

The floor was uneven but not by as much as the OP`s floor maybe 4mm in places but it was the best thing for the job and stopped the heatloss through the concrete very well.

HTH

SD

underlay_guru

Hi,

Firstly, I'm with many of the other posters: why on earth would you want to cover up a beautiful york stone floor with laminate???!??!:eek:

..Anyway, it's your choice I suppose. Unfortunately, a self levelling compound is the only way you will be able to flatten the floor...and yes, this will ruin the york stone underneath.

You will not be able to use the green boards!!!!! A fibreboard can only flatten out slightly uneven surfaces up to around 4mm, but definitely not 7mm, and even then the boards would have to be srewed down: further ruining the stone underlneath.

....so its the stone OR the screed and laminate im afraid!

Rosie:

I'd suggest putting Marine plywood down - at least 18mm thick

fiddiwebb

You will not be able to use the green boards!!!!! A fibreboard can only flatten out slightly uneven surfaces up to around 4mm, but definitely not 7mm, and even then the boards would have to be srewed down: further ruining the stone underlneath

The boards I bought do not require being fixed, in fact the instructions say that you should lay them loose and leave an expansion gap of 5mm around the outside edges.

fiddiwebb

What Rosie suggests would certainly work at least it should not flex.

Nothing worse than trying to lay laminate flooring on an uneven surface as I found one out time, much cursing went on :rolleyes:

Sunnyday

fiddiwebb wrote: »

You will not be able to use the green boards!!!!! A fibreboard can only flatten out slightly uneven surfaces up to around 4mm, but definitely not 7mm, and even then the boards would have to be srewed down: further ruining the stone underlneath

The boards I bought do not require being fixed, in fact the instructions say that you should lay them loose and leave an expansion gap of 5mm around the outside edges.

Sounds like the same ones that i used as they needed the same gap and were not supposed to be fixed.
A friend used them in her porch which was very rough stone and they worked fine in there too.

SD

underlay_guru

fiddiwebb wrote: »

The boards I bought do not require being fixed, in fact the instructions say that you should lay them loose and leave an expansion gap of 5mm around the outside edges.

Yes, loose laying is fine on slightly uneven floorboards and slightly uneven screeded floor, as the underside of the boards 'take the shape of the slightuneven-ness underneath but not on very uneven stone, they will just rock and slip around. Each board would be like a see-saw!

I sell this product and have just checked the instructions: they say the product will even out imperfections in the subfloor. Bumpy yorkstone is not classed as a 'sub-floor': a subfloor would be either floorboards or a concrete/screeded floor with possible minor lumps and bumps.