Hi all, well we've had a fitter in..... He started by taking all the carpet up and underlay which revealed tiles which look like they were cemented in when the house was built. He then applied a self levelling compound on top of these tiles to the down stairs rooms. After drying I walked over the screeded floor and noted the floor was not level , from one point to another in the lounge over a 10 foot distance the floor level dropped 14mm. I asked if he could raise the level of one side of the room and he said yes it could be. He applied a quick drying compound to raise the level and said it would be dry within 4 hours. The next day he came back and couldn't fit the karndean as the so called quick drying compound hadn't fully dried due to the thickness he had to apply. He can't come until end of next week now but over the weekend the additional compound he put on has started cracking..... Is this right? Can cracks appear like this and is it going to be ok to lay the karndean on this? Also is it normal to have uneven floors at the point karndean is laid or should they be dead level? Should the shop owner who quoted us and saw the rooms have checked the levelness of the flooring although possibly difficult when there is carpeting down? He pretty well said uneven floors are quite normal .... I'm just desperate to get the job done now but am worried things aren't quite right in readiness for when they come back to finish the job later in the week.... The fitter has been really helpful and patient but I'm slightly concerned,,,, Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.
Sounds like what ever he's gone over the top with is a higher compression strength that what he used underneath which will cause it to crack & can also pull the first screed off the floor or the original tiles that should have been removed could be stuck with bitumen & if the first screed isn't suitable for use over bitumen residue can also cause it to crack & possibly pull off the floor ? & if the screed was put in deeper than it is meant to that can make it crack as well. Did you see what type of screed was used ? Was it a bag that mixed with water or a bag & bottle mix ? Did you see any primers used on the floor prier to the screed going down ? Also most screeds say the are rapid drying but obviously if its a heavy coat that will effect the drying time With out seeing the floor this is just hypothetical
It should be normal practice to check levels of a floor & descuse weather the customer wants the floor built up to level or just smooth ddepending on budget & what the customer is happy with & expecting !
Thanks for your reply. Bostik screed master speed , black containers have been left so assume that's what was used, not sure if that was the initial screeding or not.... The initial compound was a very light colour, the additional he put on dried as a very dark colour if that helps? Its this one which is cracking. Should they have taken up the tiles?
Yes the tiles should have taken up really you floor is only as good as what's underneath ! Different colours sounds like different compounds used so could be down to the compression strengths which is making it crack ? Do you have any underfloor heating ?
That screed master speed is pretty new on the market so I haven't tried it myself but I probably won't be trying it because I've never been impress with any other screed master products ! Just saying
The tiles weren't shiny ones more like dull.... Sorry not sure what you mean by council tiles... The house is 17 years old newish estate. No we don't have underfloor heating. Is the cracking a serious issue?
Well its not good ? How bad are the cracks ? It could just get hairline crack that could be skimmed over with feather finish compound & be fine ? or the over time it could continue to crack all over & worst case pull up the screed thats underneath as it drys out more & stiffens !
Hi... They're hair line 1mm mostly, one is 2mm and when you stand on that one it moves downwards slightly.
You need to put your concerns to the installer or if different who supplied the Karndean to you Its easier to prep & install Karndean wrong than is is to do right so always use a reputable supplier & if possible an approved installer !
The screed moves ? Is the sub floor concrete or wood ? That's not good sounds like a complete fail sorry ! Don't let them do anything else This needs sorted out properly ! Preparation is key & this doesn't sound like good prep ?
Your probably paying a lot of money for this floor & you don't want to end up paying twice as its going wrong already ! Ask to see qualifications & certificates from the installer If he ain't got them find someone that does !
I think the others have got you covered on the rest Els, but just wanted to reply to this comment "should they be dead level?"...In reference to the sub-floor.. You can go to very high specifications regards preparing a floor to be completely level. For instance a floor in a hospital surgery room would need to be an extremely level floor. No-one wants a bed sliding off mid way through a delicate knife cut (obviously if someone forgot to put the brakes on).. A sub-floor is often classed as adequately flat with deviations of less than 1 mm over a metre span. I'm not a karndean installer though so the lads here may disagree in one way or another.. In some properties and the real world, it's sometimes impossible to reach them tolerances which is obviously dependent on the situation and budget.. Agree with Spacey...Plus if the slc's moving, it's probably blown/de-bonded, especially if the ground floor is solid and assuming there wasn't any movement in the original tiles..
if the screed sounds hollow when you tap it or moves it has already started to fail. That will probably have to be lifted. You don't need a level floor to install lvt, more important is a smooth floor. There can be a big cost difference between a level floor and a smooth floor. This is something that should of been discussed.
Hi all, yes there a slight hollow sound when I tap the crack. The shop I went to is on the recommended list from karndean. Just feel its a rush job and was made to feel guilty for asking for the floor to be levelled .... Even though what he's done has still left uneven bits. Should I contact karndean for advice in the morning? What will they suggest?
