Flooring and thermoplastic tiles

[popandu]

Hi all,

I am hoping for some guidance on what I believe to be thermoplastic plain brown tiles in my kitchen.

A bit of background information; the house was refurbished and extended by the previous owner. To the rear of the house is an extension with concrete floor. In the old part of the house and in the kitchen there are thermoplastic tiles and bitumen (which also extend under the kitchen cupboards).

Laminate flooring was laid on top of both the concrete floor (which had to be taken up due to the refurbisher putting a 5' screw through a pipe in the concrete floor - now sorted) and the thermoplastic tiles. This created an issue with the levels and there are further problems in the kitchen, presumably where another area of the tile joins the concrete (I have yet to have a look). In one area it feels as if there is a pipe of some sort protruding the concrete under the laminate so this will need to be looked at.

The existing laminate has to go as it was ruined due the leak.

I'm not keen on laying new flooring over these tiles due to the issue of the level an ideally want to take up the tiles to get this sorted.

I have 2 main issues as I see it and hope for some ideas:
1) What do I do about the tiles that run under the kitchen cupboards?
2) Are they thermoplastic? and if so do I therefore need to get a contractor in to remove them due the issue of containing asbestos?

I have included a couple of photos to help give a better idea of the situation.

View media item 83620 View media item 83621
All replies gratefully received.

Cheers all.

 

[ree]

1. how old is the house?

2. where is the tile butting up to the concrete?

3. a possible pipe bulge - where?

4. Why not sketch an annotated floor plan of old and new, and pic that sketch, and post on here?

5. what will your finished floor covering be?

6. there seem to be two slabs unevenly butting? Are they level?

7. does either, or both, slab have a membrane (DPM)?

 

[popandu]

Hi ree,

Thanks for the reply.

1) House was built in the 1950s.
2) The tiles were originally laid across the entire width of the house up to the join of the extension.
Where you see concrete this is the extension.
Laminate was laid over the entire ground floor but had to be taken up in the extension and a small part of the old house due to the leak. Along the length of the kitchen shown on the right they appear to have taken the tiles up so the join is concrete - bitumen. In the area of the kitchen to the left is concrete - bitumen - tiles.
View media item 83620 View media item 836853) Taking the picture on the right the bulge is under the laminate flooring about 1.5m from the doorway you see straight ahead.
4) The additional photos should help; the issue I have is regarding the tiles that run under the kitchen cupboards - how do I go about taking them up? or do I just work on getting the ones around the cupboards?
5) The new flooring is likely to be a solid wood.
6) The different levels you see are concrete, bitumen and tiles so just 2 main levels to work with.
7) The extension has a DPM, I very much doubt if the old house will have.

Cheers for now.

 

[ree]

In a 1950's house, the bitumen possibly acted as a DPM.

The bump in the floor business could be a result of the earlier leak but whatever it is, its best to open up and sort it out. If not, any floor covering will wear unevenly at that spot. You could expose the concrete and post pics?

If i understand you: you want to lift all the laminate and thermo tile below the laminate?
There is also a difference in slab heights, the thickness of a thermo tile?
You wish to lift the thermo tiles as they go beneath the base unit plinths?

Why not leave the thermo tile alone and use a SLC to bring all surfaces to the same height?

If the new concrete gives you damp doubts then it could be tanked before spreading SLC.

Do you intend to float the engineered finish floor?

 

[popandu]

Yes, quite possibly the bitumen acted as a DPM.

The raised pipe will certainly be looked at when I take the laminate up. It's in a different area to the leak so no issues there; I suspect they have had to take up a section of the tiles due the gas services and laid new pipes in concrete too close to the surface. I want to get a plan (at least in theory) before I take up the laminate and have a concrete floor for months!

The tiles are may be 2mm thick. The way I see it is a floor needs to be laid on a flat surface or else you are asking for trouble straight off before you've started.

Yes, I would rather just take the lot up and do a proper job. The trouble is getting to the tiles under the kitchen units. As I mentioned the main conern is re: asbestos and also what to do about the tiles under the kitchen units.

What is an SLC? I'm confident about the damp; the area without the DPM is in the middle of the house.

Cheers.

 

[denso13]

As I mentioned the main concern is asbestos

That is a real possibility. Have them professionally removed or leave them in place.