kitchen floor

[SomeUser]

I have a suspended wooden floor - floorboards - and I'm going to put down LVT. I know I need a flat surface for this so do I put plywood down on top of the floorboards, or replace the floorboards with plywood?

Secondary question - if I board over the floorboards, do I do it all over, even where the units will be? Part of me says it's sensible, and probably easier, and another part of me says it's wasting money on plywood that maybe I don't have to spend.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JohnD]

If you refloor the entire kitchen, it will look much better if you ever move an appliance or unit

It will be easier to move appliances with no step or rucking

And it will prevent spilt milk or insects getting under the edges.

If the floor is actual floorboards (not chipboard) repair as necessary and lay 4m or 6mm ply. Let it settle before tacking down. Big sheets in the middle of the room and traffic areas, and cut pieces round the edges. Factory cuts are straight and square and should butt together perfectly. Your cuts, not.

Before fitting the new cover is the best time to take up floorboards, clean out airbricks, remove rubbish, insulate pipes and run any wiring you might need for sockets, phones, LAN, speakers, alarm or aerial, and go repair or screw down any boards that need it.

You can also insulate the floor if you want, and block draughts with mineral wool round the edges

 

[conny]

Check the price between 6mm and 9mm ply. If you have the money, (and there is no height restriction), I'd go for the 9mm as even the extra 3mm will make it feel much sturdier to walk on.
Definitely go under the appliances/units if possible. We have large quarry tiles in our kitchen and the previous owner stopped just past the kickboards of the cupboards. He also ran across the range cooker position instead of going in to it. Problem we now have is, when I want to take it out for an annual clean, it is an almighty struggle! If he had tiled underneath, it would have been so much easier.

 

[SomeUser]

If you refloor the entire kitchen, it will look much better if you ever move an appliance or unit

It will be easier to move appliances with no step or rucking

And it will prevent spilt milk or insects getting under the edges.

Do you mean just the ply, or the LVT as well?

If the floor is actual floorboards (not chipboard) repair as necessary and lay 4m or 6mm ply.

I was going to go with 15mm, to level it with the adjoining room. If there's a more cost effective solution I'd love to hear it!

You can also insulate the floor if you want, and block draughts with mineral wool round the edges

Any advice as to what to use and where to get it? I've tried getting underfloor insulation before and it was impossible to get something that I could fit myself.

 

[JohnD]

Do you mean just the ply, or the LVT as well?


I was going to go with 15mm, to level it with the adjoining room. If there's a more cost effective solution I'd love to hear it!


Any advice as to what to use and where to get it? I've tried getting underfloor insulation before and it was impossible to get something that I could fit myself.

Both ply and LVT so it is level

15 mm if you want.

You can use loft insulation. Get the brown mineral wool treated with ecose, which does not shed irritant dust and fibres. It will be marked on the packaging. Most heat loss from floors is draughts round the edges and any holes, so take extra care here. If you can't do the whole room, go rou d the edges. Do not block airbricks.

 

[dazlight]

Where you getting 15mm plywood from ?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Standard thickness from places like Hanson Plywood, Bensons, etc

 

[SomeUser]

You can use loft insulation. Get the brown mineral wool treated with ecose, which does not shed irritant dust and fibres. It will be marked on the packaging. Most heat loss from floors is draughts round the edges and any holes, so take extra care here. If you can't do the whole room, go rou d the edges. Do not block airbricks.

Oh okay. Presumably you need to suspend it, somehow? Otherwise it just ends up on the ground I seem to remember seeing something about netting, but I don't know if it was for use with using loft insulation or something else, now.

If netting, how do you protect that from rodents? I'm guessing they won't be interested in mineral wool, but they will get at anything plastic (just to p**s us off, I think). Countering rats, or even mice, with metal netting is possible but I know the wire used needs to be of certain gauges etc. to do so. I don't want to spend money on insulating only for it all to fall to the ground and be useless.

Thanks for your advice, by the way, it's very much appreciated.