Hi all, Planning to install LVT tiles to the entire ground floor of a new build (now 3 years old). The floor is self levelled already but due to carpet grip removal there is some minor damage to the surface that the nails pulled out and also some small holes from the build that just got filled in with ballast - I'm going to clean out and fill in all of this with setcrete concrete repair mortar. I'm now thinking about having the whole floor self levelled again to have a smooth base to work from instead of the patched floor (would that be fine anyway?) Is it ok to self level half of the ground floor first by creating a dam in the lounge doorway, this way I can then move furniture into the cured self levelled room and do the other half meeting up to the doorway level? Would save me a lot of hassle of moving the TV upstairs. Cheers
Firstly as it’s a new build and already been levelled I’d be checking to see how it’s bonded…… builders tend to throw any old screed onto floors that haven’t dried. Hit it with a hammer and see what happens….. if it starts to break away it isn’t bonded to the concrete and take the lot up and start again if your doing lvt….. also do a moisture test…… If you are going to screed over the lot use a screed with a low compressive strength like ardex n/a
Good advice above. Has to be checked if screeding over. Or maybe use ardex feather finish if the screed is flat.
Thanks both. After checking yesterday - the screed has bonded to the concrete. I can look at getting a moisture test if needed. I didn't know about Ardex feather finish - seems like a good way to go about patching the current screed and not having to put down an entire new smoothing layer. The entire floor like I said before is smooth/flat other than the carpet grip nail holes, some 5-10mm wide holes and also a couple of trowel marks, all that would need completely smoothing if the LVT is to be glued down onto the current screed. For more info - we had mostly carpet throughout downstairs that was put down onto the screed, kithen sheet vinyl that was directly onto the screed (shows how flat it is) but then in the W.C we had gluedown LVT that had been put onto a smoothing compound ontop of the screed - I removed this layer with the LVT and it's completely smooth/flat underneath.
I’ve attached photos of the current floor now that I’ve got everything pulled up. You can see how smooth/flat the floor is from the above photo , it’s quite dusty so I’ve been scraping off and vacuuming the carpet adhesive, dried plaster etc with a scraper and a wire brush. You can see the damage from the carpet grips, trowel marks and also a hairline crack that runs the entire width of the house (4m wide) near enough midway length of the house. Would we be able to have the LVT put directly onto the current floor, if there is no moisture present and all of the damage including the crack is repaired? thank you.
Has it been properly tested for moisture with the right kit? It needs a fresh coat of screed before you lay the lvt...
Strange looking subfloor. What’s the brown stuff beneath the top coat? Needs a lot of prep for LVT. Wouldn’t fancy bonding to that mess. It needs to be tested for moisture. Hardness and it will absolutely need a levelling compound. Think you would be safer with a floated floor
It’s a right mess. You say it’s been self levelled ? That needs grinding off clean as it’s all contaminated , moisture check and if some but I’d say go with uzin pe404 2 coats and then a smoothing compound. or maybe remove any loose contamination and use ardex NA. Fill the cracks with a crack repair P10
