floor leveling compound
- Thread starter whyme!
- Start date
no it does not act as a dpm. I know that woody has adviced you to create one type of subfloor before you install your new floor. This is correct advice but woody does work to a slightly different standard to us. ( trained abroad) In the u.k we now have a method that makes it possible to fit over concrete and wooden subfloor. What you have to do is plywood your wooden side and then on a concrete side apply a epoxy dpm (liquid dpm) and then use a levelling compound over this smoothed into the plywood section.
If you use the epoxy dpm the moister content of the two subfloors will stay the same which will allow you to install you flooring without problems.
If you use the epoxy dpm the moister content of the two subfloors will stay the same which will allow you to install you flooring without problems.
Matty, so in fact you also apply the compound over the ply, creating one type of (compound) underfloor?
no you dont have to. Dpm the concrete section and then lip the plywood sheets 10mm onto the concrete and dpm (epoxy) then lay smoothing compound upto the plywood and feather out. If you want to lay smoothing compound over the plywood as well then you need to use fibre bonded compound. You only have to do this if bad dips in the floor that 4-6mm plywood wont take out. ( in other words when you would normally use 18mm ply for example, this saves raising the floor height. ) When you use a epoxy Dpm over concrete the moister of the smoothing compound over the top will always stay the same as the wood fitted over the top which should be equal to the moister the wood takes from the air around it. So same as floorboard moister.
I sent you a p.m before you replied by the way.
I sent you a p.m before you replied by the way.
Just found the pm's, thanks (restricting my email donwloads to once every 30 minutes now, busy!)
OK, understand where you coming from and if you glue down a wooden floor it would be fine I guess. Our concern would still be when floating the floor ontop of two types of underfloors: still different 'climate' between new wooden floor and the different types of underfloors. Especially when some boards are both on concrete and ply.
But as you already mentioned: different 'heritage' in training methods translates in different (but both proper) working methods.
OK, understand where you coming from and if you glue down a wooden floor it would be fine I guess. Our concern would still be when floating the floor ontop of two types of underfloors: still different 'climate' between new wooden floor and the different types of underfloors. Especially when some boards are both on concrete and ply.
But as you already mentioned: different 'heritage' in training methods translates in different (but both proper) working methods.
the reason for this new method is because to many people are laying plywood over a damp or wet concrete subfloor. What this is doing is bridging the moister across into the wooden subfloor sending the floorboards/plywood/chipboard etc rotten. It is also giving a moister imbalance between the new flooring and the subfloor at either end, which is causing the two sides of the room to expand and different rates.
Of course if everyone let the concrete dry properly and tested like yourself there would be no problem with the "one type of subfloor" but you know as well as i do that people dont do this and this is our new way around this!
Also the moister content of the two subfloors will stay the same as it is now controlled by humidity and not a large slab of concrete against 22mm of floorboards. As the smoothing compound should only be 3mm thick the two different subfloors should work at the same speed as each other. And dont forget that the one subfloor is now plywood not a solid board, hence fine for floating also.
Just got to over come the problem with people trying to use a porta nailer on concrete and plastic dpm on wooden subfloors next
Of course if everyone let the concrete dry properly and tested like yourself there would be no problem with the "one type of subfloor" but you know as well as i do that people dont do this and this is our new way around this!
Also the moister content of the two subfloors will stay the same as it is now controlled by humidity and not a large slab of concrete against 22mm of floorboards. As the smoothing compound should only be 3mm thick the two different subfloors should work at the same speed as each other. And dont forget that the one subfloor is now plywood not a solid board, hence fine for floating also.
Just got to over come the problem with people trying to use a porta nailer on concrete and plastic dpm on wooden subfloors next
Just got to over come the problem with people trying to use a porta nailer on concrete and plastic dpm on wooden subfloors next
Well, one of these days everyone will know how to install a wooden floor correctly
(hmmm, would they? as soon as pigs can fly I guess)
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