Karndean Flooring Advice

Discussion in 'Vinyl / Impervious floor coverings' started by AdrianM80, Nov 10, 2017.

  1. AdrianM80

    AdrianM80 New Member

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    Hi All,

    I'm hoping someone can give me some advice.

    As part of having a new kitchen fitted we had our existing flooring (tiles) removed and new Karndean flooring fitted by a local company. After the old tiles were removed, they laid 3 layers (one double 6cm layer, plus a further 3cm single layer) of latex screed, then fitted the Karndean on top.

    Now that it's completed, we've noticed that the floor isn't level. Across the width of the flooring (around 1.4m) we have a 'hump' down the middle. The centre of the floor is higher than the edges - the left side being around 4-5mm lower and the right being 6-7mm lower. There was no noticeable difference in level with the old tiles and nothing was mentioned when they were removed.

    Our flooring company have stated that they have done a good job, that the floor won't be completely level, and have blamed it on the underlying concrete floor. They stated that the screed was just a smoothing compound and not a self-levelling compound, so won't really solve any underlying issues. However this was never flagged up before the flooring was laid, either when they came out at the start, or when they came again after the old tiles were removed. They have in fact said that they've made the uneven floor better and that without the screed the 'hump' would be even more pronounced.

    I thought that the latex screed was a self-levelling compound and would therefore give us a flat floor, with it flowing into the lower areas. However if we look at the edges, the latex doesn't seem to be particularly thick, and certainly not more than the overall level (the 9mm they laid).

    They've offered to get an independent inspection, but that would be at our cost (£150-200) unless they found in our favour. I'm therefore wondering if anyone with experience can give us some advice.

    TIA
    Adrian
     
  2. J d clarkson flooring

    J d clarkson flooring Well-Known Member

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    A very tricky one......
    They haven’t done anything incorrectly but maybe should have drawn your attention to the hump......
    The latex is self levelling to an extent but smooths the floor and more than likely would be too costly on whatever they had quoted.
    Do you recieve any other quotes
     
  3. Spacey

    Spacey Super Moderator Staff Member

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    Are you sure those thicknesses are cm and not mm thats really heavy screeds and most shouldn't even be laid that thick ?
     
  4. AdrianM80

    AdrianM80 New Member

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    We didn't get other quotes on the basis our kitchen fitter recommended them (he thinks they've done a poor job and won't recommend them again) plus their reviews on checkatrade etc.

    I just done think there was much of a hump (if at all) in the underlying concrete.

    And Spacey, you're right I meant mm rather than cm with the latex thicknesses. It was a typo!
     
  5. Spacey

    Spacey Super Moderator Staff Member

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    I don't understand whay they've screeded 3 times then ? Im guessing because they couldn't get it flat and smooth the first time...or the second time.....or sounds like the third time to
    Amateurs
     
  6. merit

    merit Well-Known Member

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    Probably screeded that many times to get back to the original tile height for what ever reason. If they have put it down that thick and pushed it around too much or used a naff levelling compound it won’t self level. Or there could of been a hump in the subfloor before. Only way to tell now is take a sample out of the screeds from the edge and from the middle.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  7. Rugmunching

    Rugmunching Well-Known Member

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    I have a tasty one starting Monday. New extension and the builder has made a right balls of his concrete, I'm faced with same sort of hump as mentioned here but a few of them. I'm screeding twice. 1st coat is going to be like a swamp then 2nd coat will be the usual 3-4mm. Have a few bags of aggregate on stand by to.

    Op: you can get a flat level(enough) floor with their method they used but by sounds of it they just didn't give it that little more attention. It's an expensive way of doing it but saves getting the builder back to (a) Bodge it up even more (b) Have to wait till their crap mix has dried out
     
  8. AdrianM80

    AdrianM80 New Member

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    Thanks all. The underlying concrete did have a few small holes (2-3cm diameter) where the original tiles were taken up and a few areas where a little of the old tile adhesive was still there. They decided on a double thickness layer to smooth these out and when that wasn't enough, an extra layer of screed.

    It sounds like I either have to stick with it, or get out an independent company to check thicknesses as merit has suggested.
     

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