Help...I've messed up my flooring!!!

[Thediygirl]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the forum but I have successfully laid laminate flooring a few times and haven't had any major problems...until now!

I am laying the laminate flooring (12mm) on concrete with a 5mm underlay (including plastic for damp proofing). I wanted to do a really neat job so I decided to use some self levelling compound first. The major problem I have just discovered is that I didn't put primer on the floor first and some of the compound has buckled. This appears to have happened only on the kitchen so far where there was a precious problem with a leak which left the floor still damp (I'm guessing, although it looked fine).

I've pulled up the buckled compound and plan on adding SBR primer and then re-levelling.

Two questions:

1) Will I have problems with the two bedrooms with buckling too? If so, what options do I have?

2) Does my plan sound okay for the kitchen?

Thanks in advance!!

Taryn

 

[ree]

Your best bet is to post some pics of the failed and proposed floor areas.

Are you certain that the leak has been fixed? Was it under the slab?

All buckled or damaged compound should be removed.

How do you know if the concrete floor or the walls surrounding the floor are damp free? Does the slab have a membrane (DPM)?
Are the skirtings on or off?

 

[Thediygirl]

Hi there,

Sorry, I don't have any pics at the moment, but the leak was from the old radiator which has now been replaced so no more water.

I have already removed the buckled compound and the skirting has been removed (painfully....as it was concrete!).

How would I know if there's a DPM? It's a 1950s council block.

Thanks!

 

[ree]

Most people dont have pics to hand they take them for the thread.

Are you on the ground floor?

 

[Thediygirl]

Fourth/top floor

 

[dazlight]

Won't have any rasing damp then.
Was there old adhesive on the floor?
Was it a water mix screed or a bag and bottle.
Should prime every time.

 

[Thediygirl]

Thanks! Yes, definitely learn my lesson with priming. There were vinyl tiles glued to the concrete but I painstakingly chipped them all off first so no real adhesive left.

I used Bostik Cementolay (something like that).

 

[dazlight]

You did well getting them off. Hard work that. My Apprentise loves doing it not.
Yeah that's a water mix. Has to be primed or won't bond properly.
Just chip off all loose screed then prime and screed.
Laminate will hide a lot anyway with a good underlay.