Floor !!!!!!-up - any way of salvaging?

Help1234

Hello,

My parents had an extension added to the back of their Edwardian house giving them an open plan kitchen/living area. The extension connects open-plan to the existing living room (floorboards) and to the old kitchen which is divided from the old living room by a wall. The old kitchen has original quarry tiles that are not in a good way and have bits of old cement attached to them in places. 

My dad has laid laminate in the extension, old living room and old kitchen. He did not level the floor in the old kitchen, instead put underlay straight ontop of the quarry tiles and then the laminate on top. He then fitted the new kitchen within the extension and the old kitchen and nailed this down ontop of the laminate. 

Now there are problems with the floor in the old part of the kitchen. The joins are parting and when you walk on them they feel like they could snap, like there is no support. The floor is also incredibly and visibly bouncy in this area.

What are the options here? The kitchen cannot be removed, however on one side of the old kitchen are larder units which could be removed so some floor could be taken up a bit here, but only so far as there is a kitchen island nailed down in the extension which is close. The other side with cupboards can't be. I have contacted floor screeders for help, are they the correct people? None have got back to me

Bendy_House

Obviously the flooring needs to come up.

Once the unit plinths are removed, a chippy with a multitool should be able to slice a clean line through the flooring, just in front of the unit's legs. The flooring that's under the units will stay put.When it's all sorted, the plinth goes back and no-one will be any the wiser.

Help1234

OK but how to deal with the quarry tiles? Screed? A major issue is the floor is so badly uneven I'm not even sure screed will solve it.

FreeBear

Edwardian property, original quarry tiles - Any idea what the subsurface is ?

The tiles were often laid directly on top of a rammed earth base or a limecrete without a damp proof membrane. Pouring a self leveling screed over the top is going to store up problems..

grumbler

Help1234 said:

OK but how to deal with the quarry tiles? Screed? A major issue is the floor is so badly uneven I'm not even sure screed will solve it.

Yes, possibly, some sort of screed. Bug a good SDS chisel first.

 

Help1234

Then what is the solution @FreeBear we can’t get the quarry tiles up. Yes they are laid on earth. No damp proof but he did lay underlay with a damp proof membrane

grumbler

I don't think that any tiles can be laid directly on 'earth'. However, even if this is the case, why can't you remove them?

Any screed added over the tiles will rise the level significantly.

Help1234

I can't remove them as the kitchen is already installed

grumbler

Well, leave them under the units and remove everywhere else. If they are big you'll probably need an angle grinder with diamond disc. As your dad is such a keen DIYer he has to be happy to gain some new skills.

Post a picture of the floor and  the units they and explain why and how the units were "nailed down"

Help1234

Is there any alternative to getting the quarry tiles up? Worried about kitchen damage.

grumbler

Post a photo