Do I need to remove black adhesive under old laminate?

[Live&Learn]

Hi.

I hope you are all keeping safe and well.

I removed all laminate flooring in the kitchen of my 1990s house and it looks like thin laminate planks were used. They ware damp all over. There were remnants of what looked like black adhesive (builder said it was bitumen). It looks exactly like the pics in this thread https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/concrete-floor-with-bitumen-paint-more-bitumen-or-seal.486497/.

The floor was very damp when I removed the laminate from it

He said that the dampness in the floor was because it was concrete.

He told me to buy 5 backs of setcrete floor levelling compound, and mixed it and poured it on the floor up to the kitchen counters. He will put LVT tiles on top.

So my questions: I assume I need underlay with DPM under the LVT. Is this enough? or have we made a mistake by laying floor levelling compound over the black stuff?

Thanks.

 

[dazlight]

Yes mate I’d say you have as that smoothing compound is the wrong type. It needed to be a moisture tolerance smoothing compound like ardex NA or fball 1200. You would if then needed to put a epoxy liquid Dpm down.

 

[Live&Learn]

Yes mate I’d say you have as that smoothing compound is the wrong type. It needed to be a moisture tolerance smoothing compound like ardex NA or fball 1200. You would if then needed to put a epoxy liquid Dpm down.

Ok. The compound was latex levelling compound.

Should I now pull up all the floor levelling compound that is already there and lay down ardex NA? Sorry, this is all new to me.

 

[dazlight]

Which one was it ? Was it mixed with water or latex in a bottle ? It will say on the spec sheet if it’s moisture tolerant.

if it’s a proper latex then it’s fine to Dpm over it. If not you would be best to remove it.

 

[Live&Learn]

It was this one https://www.wickes.co.uk/Setcrete-Latex-Floor-Levelling-Compound---20kg/p/133779

instructions state that floor must be primed. It wasn't.

I wish I never gave the builder free reign. Am I supposed to second-guess his actions and doubt him when he claims he has "17 years experience in the trade"?

What a cowboy.

 

[dazlight]

So many bad builders about mate. Does my head in.