Do I need to put in a new DPM?

[dann09]

With respect:

Vinyl tiles are not "part of the DPM" .
Visqueen, or its equivalents were widely used in the 1970's.
Personally i'd remove a short length of skirting to reveal a probable DPM, rather than hole the concrete.

Before doing anything else, lift the tiles, scrape the floor and see what condition its in - then come back here.

Stay away from self levelling compound and ceramic tile until you have thought thro the consequences, such as a raised finished floor.

The tile can be scored at the skirting and then lifted/snapped up.

 

[lymmranger]

With respect:

Vinyl tiles are not "part of the DPM" .
Visqueen, or its equivalents were widely used in the 1970's.
Personally i'd remove a short length of skirting to reveal a probable DPM, rather than hole the concrete.

Before doing anything else, lift the tiles, scrape the floor and see what condition its in - then come back here.

Stay away from self levelling compound and ceramic tile until you have thought thro the consequences, such as a raised finished floor.

The tile can be scored at the skirting and then lifted/snapped up.

In my experience there will be no visqueen under the slab. The 70`s was when visqueen "came on the scene" before that happened it was concrete then bitumen then marley tiles

 

[dazlight]

aha ok thanks, maybe we will do that.
I'm kind of thinking that the liquid dpm stuff is only £12 so maybe we should just put it on anyway, it won't do any harm i'm thinking.

£12? Which one is that?
Very cheap that.
The liquid dpm I use all the time is Ardex dpm 1c 6kg which costs approx £70 plus vat and covers 10-12m2 depending how thick you put it on.

 

[dann09]

Still with respect,

I dont know what it is that you are questioning? The house was built in 1978 hence my reference to the 1970's, and your ref to Visqueen "coming on the scene" in the 1970's.

AAMOI:Visqueen was introduced to the building trade in the 1960's, and as i mentioned, in common use in the 1970's.

 

[lymmranger]

Still with respect,

I dont know what it is that you are questioning? The house was built in 1978 hence my reference to the 1970's, and your ref to Visqueen "coming on the scene" in the 1970's.

AAMOI:Visqueen was introduced to the building trade in the 1960's, and as i mentioned, in common use in the 1970's.

Yes............. but the OP`s floor is Marley tiles and bitumen

............NO visqueen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dazlight]

A good way to check is take shirts off an look at the edges, but even though they should of been putting visqueen in after 1965 loads of builders didn't.
A few estates near me starting being built in the eraly 60s and finished in the 70s and no visqueen dpm in any of them.

 

[dann09]

Why do you keep insisting that "the OP's 1978 floor is Marley tiles and bitumen"?
How can you possibly know?

And how can you know that there's no Visqueen?

The notion that all UK floors for however a period... had Marley tiles, and, apparently, only Marley tiles, as part of a "membrane" is far fetched.

The major "membrane" material before "Visqueen" was asphalt.
F. Ball & Co. (for one major supplier) was supplying non-bituminous adhesives from the 1950's on.

 

[lymmranger]

Why do you keep insisting that "the OP's 1978 floor is Marley tiles and bitumen"?
How can you possibly know?

And how can you know that there's no Visqueen?

The notion that all UK floors for however a period... had Marley tiles, and, apparently, only Marley tiles, as part of a "membrane" is far fetched.

The major "membrane" material before "Visqueen" was asphalt.
F. Ball & Co. (for one major supplier) was supplying non-bituminous adhesives from the 1950's on.

Errrrrrrrr Op - post 1 -
I have a 1978 built house. In the hallway downstairs we pulled up the carpet to find marley tiles/thermoplastic tiles.


Read more: //www.diynot.com/forums/floors-stairs-lofts/do-i-need-to-put-in-a-new-dpm.369859/#ixzz2YLY6l5tx

 

[dann09]

Just because your 1978 house has vinyl tiles, it doesnt logically follow that all houses of that period had vinyl tiles.
Same goes for DPM's.
Same goes for my unanswered questions: how do you know?

Agreed that the OP's first post mentions Marley, but where does the bitumen reference come from?

AAMOI, i dont recall Marley tile being a generic name for all vinyl tile.

 

[lymmranger]

Just because your 1978 house has vinyl tiles, it doesnt logically follow that all houses of that period had vinyl tiles.
Same goes for DPM's.
Same goes for my unanswered questions: how do you know?

Agreed that the OP's first post mentions Marley, but where does the bitumen reference come from?

AAMOI, i dont recall Marley tile being a generic name for all vinyl tile.

I have just retired from a lifetime in flooring retailing. So over 40 years of experience is how I know
I reckon from the info given so far (which could be wrong) I am right.
And yes Marley IS the generic name anyone I have worked with gives these tiles. And bitumen was the glue/adhesive used to stick them down

This is an internet forum, we rely on the info given by the person asking the question. So far the only person arguing is you not the original poster....Chill out

 

[dann09]

So you know how to capitalise ( something my seven year old is good at ) - remarkable. Unfortunately, it doesn't add weight to the argument.

Why would someone with "a lifetime in flooring retailing" use their own house as an example?
And for someone to present "40 years of experience" as evidence is ludicrous - if you do indeed know, then reach into that 40 years, and give solid evidence to the questions i'm asking you.

If someone came into your shop and claimed that they would take the goods now but, given that they have a 40yr record of paying next week, rest assured the money will be in the post. You would go for that? - "Good honest man, he's provided evidence; says he has 40 years of doing it."
Maybe you recall Simple Simon?

The OP has nothing to do with this, you are ducking and diving, and finally turning to the last resort of the desperate; a personal attack on the man not the argument. A sad lack of respect for yourself and your argument.

By the way, i'm 50 years a part time lion tamer, and i know for a fact that all lions eat porridge for breakfast.

 

[mattysupra]

I have skimmed over the posts and from what im reading you are ALL wrong in some way or the other.

Suggestion for the regular posters on here. As most know i run the FloorSkills training centre, we do sub-floor prep courses. If one of you want to arrange a 'DIYNOT' training day then i will do a specific course for you all at half price if 10 people + attend. So that will be £90 quid a head. Will leave it to you regular posters if you want to take up the offer.

O.k some help,

DPM became building regs in 1965. This was for all sub-floors. Concrete has had DPM grade installed for many many years before 1965. ' Visqueen ' is a brand of polyethylene plastic sheeting produced by British Polythene Industries Limited in 1950.

Bitumen adhesive under marley tiles was not a DPM but a adhesive that could cope with high moisture, so it could be that there is no DPM or residual building moisture.

Asbestos in tiles is something to worry about. All though the average health risk is considered low, how do you know? uplifting them without knowing what your doing is past stupid. Can even end you up with a prison sentence.

Applying a smoothing compound over them is possible and so is tiling over them, but you must use low strength products or the tiles will become loose. Its poor practice to go over them.

DO NOT drill a hole in the floor to look for a DPM sheet. If you do you will bridge the DPM sheet and you will need a new concrete floor or repairs to it !

How do we know if the floor is damp or has residual building moisture ~? well that's simple. Test it . To BS standards this need to be done with a flooring hygrometer. Its standard practice and not rocket science. Do you think a electrician for example just turns up and starts connecting appliances to a wire they found? no they dont, they test it. Does a plumber just turn up and connect a cooker up? no they dont, they test the supply first. Its simple standards that every trade should follow.
hope that helps