Hi to all.
First post, but have been reading many of the posts with interest regarding laying a new floor - but never quite got the answers I needed.
I'm looking to start laying a new 130mm wide oak floor this weekend. The only problem is that when we built our house 8 years ago, the existing 18mm chipboard flooring was floated over 50mm polystyrene layed directly on the concrete slab. There also looks to be a layer of PVC sheeting on top of the polystyrene.
My problem is that if I lay the new flooring on top of the chipboard, my floors will be 18mm higher than before, so what I propose to do is lift and discard the chipboard and replace with 6mm plywood. This will make the new finished floor level no different to the ajoining room carpet level.
I'm doing a hallway (6m x 2.5m) and 2 adjoning rooms (3.2m x 3.2m) and (2.5 x 1.5). The wood is laid along the long length of the hallway and I also intend to put a threshold/expansion section in between each room.
The supplier of the flooring recommend I do not glue the tongue and groove, but should glue the flooring to the plywood.
My concern is on the expansion and the method. Why are they recommending glueing the wood down to the underfloor? Many of the posts I have read here say glueing the t&g and "floating" the floor is the best way to go. If I glue the wood to the ply, do I have to butt the ply together or do I leave a small gap to all for differing rates of expansion.
Finally as I'm looking to do this job shortly, what expansion should I leave. Its neither winter or summer. I've read I need to leave 20mm expansion all round - does that reduce the later in the season?
First post, but have been reading many of the posts with interest regarding laying a new floor - but never quite got the answers I needed.
I'm looking to start laying a new 130mm wide oak floor this weekend. The only problem is that when we built our house 8 years ago, the existing 18mm chipboard flooring was floated over 50mm polystyrene layed directly on the concrete slab. There also looks to be a layer of PVC sheeting on top of the polystyrene.
My problem is that if I lay the new flooring on top of the chipboard, my floors will be 18mm higher than before, so what I propose to do is lift and discard the chipboard and replace with 6mm plywood. This will make the new finished floor level no different to the ajoining room carpet level.
I'm doing a hallway (6m x 2.5m) and 2 adjoning rooms (3.2m x 3.2m) and (2.5 x 1.5). The wood is laid along the long length of the hallway and I also intend to put a threshold/expansion section in between each room.
The supplier of the flooring recommend I do not glue the tongue and groove, but should glue the flooring to the plywood.
My concern is on the expansion and the method. Why are they recommending glueing the wood down to the underfloor? Many of the posts I have read here say glueing the t&g and "floating" the floor is the best way to go. If I glue the wood to the ply, do I have to butt the ply together or do I leave a small gap to all for differing rates of expansion.
Finally as I'm looking to do this job shortly, what expansion should I leave. Its neither winter or summer. I've read I need to leave 20mm expansion all round - does that reduce the later in the season?
