Floating floor and flooring options?

Mark M

Mark M

Mark M

Soldato
Joined
6 Jan 2006
Posts
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Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
I’m nearing the end of a kitchen/diner extension/garage conversion and the builder has said that we have a floating floor. House is about 30 year old.

The plan was to tile it but the builder has said that you can have problems with a floating floor as it moves and will crack the grout. He spoke to his tiler and he said he wouldn’t tile a floating floor.

I’m a bit annoyed that it’s got to this stage before it’s been mentioned as I don’t know what to do now! There’s a new patio door been put in on a south facing wall so it’s going to get a lot of sun! I was originally looking at LVT but apparently that can warp in direct sun light. Assume laminate isn’t the best for a kitchen due to the moisture?

Any ideas or suggestions? This has just topped off a really crappy week :(
 
Laminate is ok for kitchens but you dont want to leave any water on the floor for long.

Solid wood or Engineered hardwood is another option .
 
Mark M said:
I’m nearing the end of a kitchen/diner extension/garage conversion and the builder has said that we have a floating floor. House is about 30 year old.

The plan was to tile it but the builder has said that you can have problems with a floating floor as it moves and will crack the grout. He spoke to his tiler and he said he wouldn’t tile a floating floor.

I’m a bit annoyed that it’s got to this stage before it’s been mentioned as I don’t know what to do now! There’s a new patio door been put in on a south facing wall so it’s going to get a lot of sun! I was originally looking at LVT but apparently that can warp in direct sun light. Assume laminate isn’t the best for a kitchen due to the moisture?

Any ideas or suggestions? This has just topped off a really crappy week :(
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We had an external garage converted, the base was solid concrete and we were told it needed insulating so the floor was built up on wooden joists. We were told a tiled floor would be fine as long as the base of the floor was boarded correctly. Wrong the grout cracked within a week, so part of the floor was taken up, re-enforced and yet again the grout started cracking.

In the end the builder agreed to replace the flooring with “our choice” of alternative and we went for engineered hardwood and it’s been great. It is a minefield though, you have to compare the thickness when comparing prices. We also went for the floating option rather than glued or nailed down so a good quality underlay is vital to give it a cushioned feel.

Three years on it’s still the best choice we made
 
LVT works as long as your fitter uses the correct adhesive. Karndean do one which works in conservatories (or at least they did 6 years ago when I worked in the industry).
User the wrong one and it will start lifting in the heat.
 
Engineered hardwood would be fine, or vinyl also comes in plank form now. Like quick step, its so easy to lay.
 
Mark M said:
I was originally looking at LVT but apparently that can warp in direct sun light.
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LVT is fine with a stronger glue in these situations. We have had ours down inside a southfacing pair of french doors and opposite a fire place. No issues in 3 years now.


Bickaxe said:
LVT works as long as your fitter uses the correct adhesive. Karndean do one which works in conservatories (or at least they did 6 years ago when I worked in the industry).
User the wrong one and it will start lifting in the heat.
Click to expand...

Correct
 
I have a floating floor in my kitchen and living room. The living room is solid oak tongue and grooved, glued down. The kitchen is tiled with 600mm x 600mm tiles. These were glued using latex adhesive on top of 22mm chipboard cross bonded with 6mm plywood glued and screwed on top. Haven't had any problems with it since it was done. Also having the same done eventually in the conservatory.
 
Tiling would be fine on a floating floor if installed correctly, depending on what it is maybe overlay with ply then ditramat then tile, large format tiles will have less joints to grout anyway.

Unless it’s bouncing like a tramampoline then it needs to be sorted first.
 
Surely tiling upstairs bathrooms would be impossible if this was such a big issue?
 
+1 for LVT Karndean. As mentioned, the key is to have it installed professionally. Ours was put onto concrete with an adhesive latex layer first.
 
Mark M said:
I’m nearing the end of a kitchen/diner extension/garage conversion and the builder has said that we have a floating floor. House is about 30 year old.

Any ideas or suggestions? This has just topped off a really crappy week :(
Click to expand...

Hello - we had cork tiles on the floor of our kitchen 20 years ago - what to do (house built 1955). I sanded and sealed them to get stable layer and used some tiles from these people:

Designer Flooring by Harvey Maria

They have been excellent and still look god as new! (NB 25 year residential warranty)

Have since used ones similar to these (ours were called "bubbles") on a waterproof ply underfloor in a shower room.

Pacific Water Effect Vinyl Flooring Tile - £36.50 per square metre (harveymaria.com)

With the recommended adhesive there have been no issues over the last 10 years!

Not as cold on the feet as ceramic tiles, and less likely to crack things that are dropped.

Mel
 
Throwing in my good experience here with the Moduleo stuff.

200sols said:
Most upstairs are not floating but nailed on joists. Screw down the boards, overlay with hardibacker and tile using S2 class adhesive.
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Ah gotcha. Thanks
 
dLockers said:
Surely tiling upstairs bathrooms would be impossible if this was such a big issue?
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Builder probably can’t find or hasn’t allowed enough for a tiler to do a proper job so making excuses. Laminate in a kitchen would take half a day. Tiling probably two
 
Maccapacca said:
Builder probably can’t find or hasn’t allowed enough for a tiler to do a proper job so making excuses. Laminate in a kitchen would take half a day. Tiling probably two
Click to expand...

Many tilers won't touch floating floors though. They are too risky down the line.
 
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