Hi all
I have searched high and low for definitive advice on this but haven't managed to find anything, so thought I'd ask here...
I live in a victorian terrace. I need to put down a new floor in my dining room. Currently, we are living on the original floorboards which are a bit tired. The floor seems quite sound and level although one board has popped up. I will try to post a picture. The two adjoining rooms have modern flooring in them (tiles in the kitchen, karndean in the living room) and so there is a big difference in the level - about 33mm to the kitchen, and perhaps 25mm to the lounge.
I have already bought the new flooring to put down - it's 20mm engineered oak flooring (http://www.willowsonflooring.co.uk/wood-flooring/oak-hove.html). I have also bought the underlay - it's a foil sheet with DPM: http://www.willowsonflooring.co.uk/3mm-pf-foam-with-dpm-metallised-foil-19db.html). I can afford to change the underlay if it is wrong; I cannot afford to change the flooring (and anyway, I like it - I just wish I'd given a bit more thought to the depth I'd need).
What I want to end up with is an attractive floor where the boards run in the same direction as the existing boards; where the difference in level between it and the adjoining floors is minimal (ideally, completely flush with the kitchen floor as there will be no doorway, so I want to meet those two floors without a threshold strip). I also do not want to create any damp issues.
I could use some help on developing a plan for this. My plan, and questions, are:
1) Nail down any loose boards. Do I need to test how level and solid this floor is, and if so, how?
2) Take off skirting boards.
3) Overboard the room with thin ply, maybe 9mm as I think this will give me a flush finish with the kitchen floor. Is this OK, or is using ply that thin pointless?
4) put down the underlay. Is the one I have OK or will this cause a damp problem? Thinking about it, having a DPM above the existing boards seems a little daft. If it is the wrong product, which should I use instead?
5) Float the engineered floorboards on top. I will need to cut some of these boards along their length - what is the best tool to use for this? And are there any additional tools that will help me get a good finish?
Thanks - comments and advice welcome!
I have searched high and low for definitive advice on this but haven't managed to find anything, so thought I'd ask here...
I live in a victorian terrace. I need to put down a new floor in my dining room. Currently, we are living on the original floorboards which are a bit tired. The floor seems quite sound and level although one board has popped up. I will try to post a picture. The two adjoining rooms have modern flooring in them (tiles in the kitchen, karndean in the living room) and so there is a big difference in the level - about 33mm to the kitchen, and perhaps 25mm to the lounge.
I have already bought the new flooring to put down - it's 20mm engineered oak flooring (http://www.willowsonflooring.co.uk/wood-flooring/oak-hove.html). I have also bought the underlay - it's a foil sheet with DPM: http://www.willowsonflooring.co.uk/3mm-pf-foam-with-dpm-metallised-foil-19db.html). I can afford to change the underlay if it is wrong; I cannot afford to change the flooring (and anyway, I like it - I just wish I'd given a bit more thought to the depth I'd need).
What I want to end up with is an attractive floor where the boards run in the same direction as the existing boards; where the difference in level between it and the adjoining floors is minimal (ideally, completely flush with the kitchen floor as there will be no doorway, so I want to meet those two floors without a threshold strip). I also do not want to create any damp issues.
I could use some help on developing a plan for this. My plan, and questions, are:
1) Nail down any loose boards. Do I need to test how level and solid this floor is, and if so, how?
2) Take off skirting boards.
3) Overboard the room with thin ply, maybe 9mm as I think this will give me a flush finish with the kitchen floor. Is this OK, or is using ply that thin pointless?
4) put down the underlay. Is the one I have OK or will this cause a damp problem? Thinking about it, having a DPM above the existing boards seems a little daft. If it is the wrong product, which should I use instead?
5) Float the engineered floorboards on top. I will need to cut some of these boards along their length - what is the best tool to use for this? And are there any additional tools that will help me get a good finish?
Thanks - comments and advice welcome!
