PARQUET FLOOR ON TOP OF BITUMEN

[DAVEEVO]

Hi guys Dave from northwest uk here .

I have a parquet floor to lay on a solid floor which is bitumen and I was wanting to lay it direct on top of the bitumen but the adhesives I've looked at all seem to say in the small print not recommended for use on asphalt. Is bitumen the same thing ? what would you do ?? .. thanks guys .

Dave ...

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'll hold my hands up and admit that I am NOT a floor fitter, however I do have some experience of both parquet and asphalt, although not at the same time.

My own experience with old asphalt is that it is sometimes badly cracked and that it can be as brittle as an old Scotch shortbread, so that trying to nail carpet grippers around the perimeter (which, let's face it, hardly requires much force) can quickly deteriorate into an utter farce as the asphalt continually breaks up (been there, done that at home, yada, yada).

The other issue I can think of is that asphalt is sometimes laid as a DPC. If it cracks, as it can, it can let moisture up into the underside of your wood floor, potentially resulting in the floor lifting away from the sub-floor as the timber swells. Talking with floorers in the past (at work, I am a chippy) I have gained the impression that they regard it as a floating floor where it might be better to install a plywood or other interlayer before applying any sort of wood flooring.

What does your supplier recommend?

.

 

[DAVEEVO]

Thanks for the reply buddy.

Not asked the supplier yet but i guess they just wanna sell the stuff and not get involved in installation issues litigation etc.

if i was to lay ply liner i guess i would have to get some sort of moisture barrier underneath it and just glue the tongue and groove parquet planks to that ?

 

[DAVEEVO]

maybe water proof tile backer boards might be the way forward?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Cement board may be a better way forward as it is pretty impervious to water. The only downside to it is the dust it creates when you cut it and the weight of the sheets

 

[DAVEEVO]

thanks guys ,i decided to leave it floating on top of the bitumen with some water proof laminate flooring underlay between the two.the parquet is tongue and groove so ive just glued every tongue and groove as ive gone and left 10mm at the edges the floor is now down and feels really solid ,the bitumen isnt cracked or damaged at all so no damp present . time will tell now. im pretty confident its going to be fine as ive done hardwood floors like that before albeit on top of floor boards but the principle is the same ..

thanks again guys

dave..