Floor level problem

[davecooper]

I have a bitumen floor in a large room. We are living in one end while we work on the other, we will then move ends and finish the room. I have just lifted the carpet in one end in readiness for laying click together type engineered wood flooring. I have found that the floor dips around 10mm in the middle of the floor. The floor is around 4m wide. I cannot level the floor with levelling compound due to kids, cats and the fact that we are living in the room. I also need the floor down within the next two weeks.

Is there a way I can get round this problem and ensure the floor is properly supported? Is 10mm nothing to worry about? The planks will run along the dip, not accross it. Will thick underlay sort this out? In the future I may revisit the floor and level it properly. However, at the moment this is not really an option.

Thanks.

 

[dann09]

Surely, you can arrange matters that you have a clear space for a couple of hours to apply a SLC (see mfr's inst's ref topping bitumen). That would probably put the 10mm hollow issue to rest.

However, if not, then a thick matt type u/layment would do the trick - again, refer to Mfr's Inst's.

I cant see your floor, but 10mm in the scheme of things isn't that much.

 

[crazydaze]

10mm is way out of spec for a floating floor, you could build the difference up in stages with a fast drying screed that will need about 60minutes per coat (see the Ardex website)

An alternative would be to try and pack the area concerned with extra underlay, a thick underlay over the whole lot won't do the trick, this method is going to be hit and miss as to how successful it will be, there's still a risk of damaging the floor.

 

[davecooper]

Complete change of plan, we are going to move out for a weekend and get it levelled properly. I was never comfortable with bodging it. It was going to take longer in the end anyway. I will be getting someone in to level the floor but I will do as much prep as I can beforehand. Is it just a case of cleaning off the glue etc from the original underlay and giving it a good scrub?

 

[crazydaze]

Give it a good clean, the person laying the screed should primer, then screed the floor and residue won't be too much of an issue