Our kitchen is being completely ripped out, leaving only plaster walls and pipework. All electrics have been rewired and ready for kitchen installation. The kitchen floor was carpeted by previous owner which has been removed. The floor is concrete with black adhesive and plastic marley tiles. My plan is remove any loose or cracked tiles and trowel cementone rapid setting waterproof cement where the gaps will be. Then lay quickstep screen, followed by quickstep softboard, then paper felt and finally quickstep laminate. The softboard, paper felt and laminate will be laid up to kitchen cabinet legs and covered with plinths. Finally, the skirting boards will be put back on when all flooring is finished. My question is does this sound correct? I am considering using Cush n wood or fine floor techni boards instead of quickstep screen and softboard. Do you have any opinions on any of these underlays? Any advice will be much appreciated.
Personally I'd never install laminate in a kitchen (or bathroom), too much potential for problems down the track. That's just my personal opinion of course and others may differ.
Why not cleck level of floor before you take any tiles up and if level is good enough just take up all tiles they should just pop up then lay timbermate excel underlay then quickstep
Completely agree with Sidney! For years manufacturers have carried out umpteen tests for waterproofing laminates ....... and I still don't like it I'm afraid. It sounds like you're planning on fitting this yourself hence I understand the attraction of a laminate but as Adam said, why don't you look at some click LVT which gives you a much more suitable top surface for the area but still fits like a laminate. Quickstep have launched this very product called Livyn Essential Click 4V.
I personally dont understand why people say dont fit laminate in a kitchen a bathroom yes I understand due to the amou t of water being used but in a kitchen I dont get it how much water do people spray around a kitchen
Women love mop and water so could say dont put any wood anywhere in the house ! If a washing machine leaks it will **** any wood floor or lvt or carpet if a floating lvt surely water will get trapped underneath and possible not get noticed untill it starts to smell or rots and wood sub floor
It's the changes of temperature and moisture that will affect a laminate more so in a kitchen or bathroom than anywhere else in the home
I've installed a huge amount of Quick-Step laminate in Kitchens and it has been fine. As others have said, check the level of the floor and crack on as you've said magmag. To validate your guarantee, I'd stick with the QS softboard and QS vapour barrier. Absolutely no need for felt paper what so ever. I would suggest you install a product called 'click guard' or 'loc guard' around key areas (or even all the floor) as you're installing the floor as this will prevent surface moisture from swelling the boards. Quick-Steps own is called 'seal & click' http://www.quick-step.co.uk/en-GB/Content/Laminate/Installation and finishing <<< at the bottom of this page. Make sure any patch work you do has dried out properly.
I agree I don't have any problems fitting wood or laminate in a kitchen, as long as they are educated in how to look after it, if you have a flood they most floors will be damaged, if you use the right products then bathrooms are ok as well, ie adhesive and seals
Thanks for all the replies. They have all been very useful. The main reason I chose laminate for the kitchen was I want to use a floating floor, as my subfloor is 1960s marley tiles with black adhesive. I guess I will need to remove no more than 20 of them, and there are approximately 500 of them, so I didn't fancy having to remove them all plus the black adhesive below them. I didn't chose lvt because the ones I've seen require it to be secured to the floor and I didn't know click lvt existed. However, the click lvt does sound interesting. I haven't seen any in real life yet although I've looked at the quick step livyn v4 on the website after Jambo mentioned it in an earlier post. I've got some questions regarding click lvt. 1. Can anyone who has used it recommend any brands? 2. Can they all be used with an underlay? 3. Does it expand/contract like laminate so that it needs an expansion gap? Thanks
I've got some questions regarding click lvt. 1. Can anyone who has used it recommend any brands? Distinctive flooring, used it quite a few tea and always been good 2. Can they all be used with an underlay? Yes they should be used with a underlay, check manufacturers spec on it 3. Does it expand/contract like laminate so that it needs an expansion gap? 2mm gap, which isn't anywhere near laminate flooring. Of this depends on it being fitted correctly by some one. Hope this helps
Vman - Manufacturers tell you to use one. The Quick-Step LVT has a semi sticky type of underlay that has a peel back film. I've gotta say though, I've just installed some in a shower room and was told to use an underlay but for me it was far to springy so it went straight on top of the ply and it was spot on. Not to sure about the 2mm expansion though. If it's floating, it'll have an expansion coefficient rate a lot like laminate. In other words subject to the length and width of a room. Just a thought..
I have finally decided to stick with my original plan of QS screen, QS soft board and QS laminate. My plan is to use the QS screen over the whole floor and up the bottom of the walls slightly (skirtings are removed everywhere). Install the kitchen and appliances on top of the QS screen, then run the QS softboard and laminate upto the cabinets legs then cover laminate with skirtings and plinths. Is it a good idea to take the QS screen under all the kitchen cabinets or should this also finish with the underlay and laminate.? The only other problems I can imagine is the finishing of the laminate by the end cover panels as they will all be bearing weight on the floor, and also the back door where the bottom of the frame meets the laminate expansion gap. What is the normal way to finish the laminate expansion gaps at these places? Thanks.
In my opinion i would fit the kitchen first. Then screen, u/lay and finally laminate. If in future you want to freshn up and lift the floor its alot less hassle. Have seen it before with flooring fitted first and it can be a nightmare lol. And you get quickstep encizos which can be fitted at the backdoor. As for the panels you could ask whoevers installing the kitchen to leave a gap for the screen, u/lay and laminate for an easy fit and nice finish. If that isnt an option now you could use a fein master to cut the end panels/or put beading.
Nothing wrong with doing that, but no real gain IMO. Plus it's going to create a right PITA for the kitchen fitters. Some like to run a line on the floor, they won't be able to do that with a barrier down. Plus when their tightening the carcas legs, the vapour barrier will all bunch up. Plus when they're walking all over it, potentially punching nicks and rips into it, not to mention it can be pretty dangerous just left down as it can move under foot. ronbaldo - He's not putting the kitchen on top of the laminate mate. I agree with ronbaldo about the end panel. End panels are generally decorative now a days magmag. The carcas legs will be taking the load. Unless you've got a load of worktop run offs with none integrated appliances. Give the kitchen fitters some off cuts of underlay and laminate and get them to install the end panels on top. Then slide them out when they've been fitted in place. Or if need be, as mentioned, the end panels can be cut. Incizo for the back door..
