Time frame of laying parquet

[alice11]

Hello,

I'm planning on laying block parquet in about 35sqm but have no idea how long this will take once I've cleaned the blocks (they're reclamied) and prepped the floor (concrete). I think I'll use the non-bitumin adhesive as suggested by Wood-You-Like and the blocks aren't T&G.

The 35sqm is spread between 2 rooms and a small hallway (all on ground level). Any advice on how much time I should put aside, bearing in mind I'm a novice, would be appreciated. As I'm a complete beginner to this and to make it logistically easier I was thinking of not trying to do all 3 rooms in one go, is this practical?

Also, do all parquet floors need a border of blocks around the circumference of the room?

Last question, how do I check the concrete floor is level enough for the parquet before I start laying them?

It sounds like cleaning the bitumin off the blocks before I start will be a big job in itself! Thanks very much for any advice.

[WoodYouLike]

alice11 wrote:

The 35sqm is spread between 2 rooms and a small hallway (all on ground level). Any advice on how much time I should put aside, bearing in mind I'm a novice, would be appreciated. As I'm a complete beginner to this and to make it logistically easier I was thinking of not trying to do all 3 rooms in one go, is this practical?

Very practical indeed. Depending on the pattern you want to lay it's mostly easier to install the rooms as separate rooms. In doorways you can make a feature of a small border to accentuate the patterns in the rooms even more.
Professionals don't install more than an average of 8 - 10 sq m a day (that's an average calculated including the sanding and finishing of the floor!)

alice11 wrote:

Also, do all parquet floors need a border of blocks around the circumference of the room?

No, it's not needed, but when you have a plunge saw a border will make the installation easier. First install the pattern and go as far as you can towards the walls. Then, after the adhesive has bonded the blocks with the underfloor cut the excess pattern with the plunge saw and install the border. This method is easier than having to calculate and saw last blocks one by one to fit the pattern.

alice11 wrote:

Last question, how do I check the concrete floor is level enough for the parquet before I start laying them?

A large straight batten will do the trick. don't get to worried about tiny differences. Small height differences will be 'sanded' away' anyway.

Hope this helps.

__________________
You buy quality, we'll advise. You buy rubbish, we won't!
We're proud members of the BwfA.

[LionelR]

WouldYouLike, I'm planning on installing a wood block floor with border as you suggest, however could you please explain how you lift the cut portions of the blocks after cutting them with a plunge saw? Since the adhesive (Styccobond B92) has set will this also rip out chunks of subfloor? I'm planning on using a latex self-levelling compound first, which will only be a few mm deep and I'm concerned this will fragment.

Also, does the plunge saw leave a clean edge to the wood, or does it not matter about splintering since it all gets sanded and filled in the end?

Many thanks in advance.

[WoodYouLike]

Hi LionelR

When applying adhesive to the underfloor with a notch trowel you don't go over the line of your pattern: your last blocks won't have much adhesive on them where they overlap this line i.e. won't damage the udnerfloor much.

The plunge saw we got (Festool) comes with a 'glider' which keeps the saw straight and no, the wood doesn't splinter (normally or you have to have 'splinter-wood'?)

__________________
You buy quality, we'll advise. You buy rubbish, we won't!
We're proud members of the BwfA.

[LionelR]

Much appreciated, thanks very much for your advice!!