Floating floor over cracked concrete

Carpeting or laminate flooring with a foam membrane underlayment would. The best options for flooring over a concrete slab foundation are woodlaminate, carpet, or tile for your whole house. In choosing a wood subfloor, many professionals like to use osb oriented strand board or. Help floating floor over concrete subfloor, engineered. I finally convinced my husband to install this, but i cant seem to find the information on how to install this over cement. Easy ways to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete.

Laying laminate flooring over concrete can look great and last for many years when installation factors involving the characteristics of concrete are addressed. I am looking for the best advice on how to pour concrete over the existing slab. With todays decorative overlays, its easy to give almost any concrete surface, indoors or out, a complete facelift and at a much lower cost than removal and replacement. How to lay a floating porcelain or ceramic tile floor over a concrete slab that has cracks, contraction joints, or expansion joints. The best flooring types for irregular surfaces floor. The following is a general list of the major steps taken to lay a floating tile floor over a concrete slab that has both cracks and contraction joints. The best type of flooring choice for a shifting foundation hunker. A floor with pronounced bowing or waves throughout the room is not a candidate for this approach. Grind the floor, use a selfleveling compound, or use a subfloor to get it pretty close to even as possible. Installations over gypcrete the purpose of the information is to outline ideal flooring options and applications over gypcrete. How to put down flooring on a cracked concrete slab home. Many concrete floors have a tendency to get damp, so when you are installing wood floors over a concrete slab foundation there are some important things that you need to do.

However most contractor will simply come out and place a rebar. Even if your patio is in terrible shape, you can deck over it. We had carpet over concrete and are now looking to lay vinyl planks down. How to evaluate cracks in poured concrete slabs inspectapedia. The challenges of laying laminate on concrete for longterm performance your laminate wood floor needs to be dry, level and clean. The basic rules of laying laminate flooring dictate that the subfloor over which it is laid must be completely clean, flat and structurally sound. Laying down your floating flooring directly onto concrete is a nono. How to pour a leveling layer of concrete over the existing. Any type of flooring may be used over properly repaired shrinkage cracks if the entire concrete surface of the pad is leveled and sealed. It seems very flimsy and liable to pop under pressure. When a section of the basement floor cracks and heaves slab upward, then you have a problem. Hi, i am mike day, owner of days concrete floors, inc.

This stamped concrete overlay was installed over an old, worn concrete patio that sloped towards the house. We install a hardwood floor on concrete using the direct stick method. In the sketch at above left, the floor slab left side of the foundation wall is simply floating sitting atop gravel and soil inside the foundation wall. The concrete can be polished and then painted in any color pattern of your choice, and the result is a modern look that enhances any decor. Why floating floors fail flooring contractors, flooring. Loose, cracked tiles will cause your installation to fail. Tile cannot be attached directly to painted concrete, as the thinset will not adhere well to the paint. Gypsum concrete is a building material used as a floor underlayment applied over wood subflooring and concrete. Do i need to repair cracks in concrete before laying. Need some advice to install a plywood floor over concrete. How to install a concrete floor overlay a decorative concrete overlay or microtopping is a great solution for restoring and enhancing worn, damaged or discolored concrete floors. All the prior comments look like good advice to me. Id like to install a tile floor over the slab, but im worried that the tile will crack.

Some laminates are glued down, while others float over the subflooring without the use of adhesive. Before installing laminate flooring over concrete, prepare the surface properly. Each type of concrete foundation, wall, basement slab, floor slab, or slab on. A few early versions of floating tiles that came out around 2010 didnt quite cut the mustard due to extensive cracking and the tiles separating from. How to lay a floating porcelain or ceramic tile floor over a.

The safest way to approach questionable concrete is not to cover it over with cbus but to fix the concrete. My thoughts 1 a thick 34 reinforced overlay should work fine. Using a scraper and a wire brush or a tool such as a floor scraper or concrete grinder go over the. Today concrete is used for kitchen counters, bathroom vanities and as flooring in the primary rooms of a home. A carpet is very forgiving to a floor with cracks that might continue to move around. Before covering the concrete floor in your home, you might want to use it as your main flooring. How to lay a floating porcelain or ceramic tile floor over. A better solution is to prepare and resurface the concrete slab so that it can accept thinset adhesive or a mortar base onto which to lay tile. Tile over cracked slab several products exist for antifracturecrack isolation on a thinset bed. If an area is badly cracked and sinks noticeably year after year, any decking you put over it will also sink and develop a low spot. When we step on it we can feel every bump and dip in the concrete. Even if your home was built on a concrete slab, you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors.

Cover the patio with a thin layer of sand, lay pavers over it, and the results look like a standard paver patio. Installing hardwood flooring over concrete howtos diy. Best types of flooring to be installed over radiant heating. Skeptics fail to recognize that pouring over the top of sound concrete is no different than pouring over a supercompacted stone base.

Next, if the tiles joints are deep, youll want regrout them to bring them flush with the tile so that the lines wont telegraph. I have been researching a lot and would like to install a plywood floor over concrete in two bedrooms in our basement. Want to permanently cover up surface imperfections in existing concrete. If any moisture appears in the crack, use a hydraulic cement product instead. Dec 19, 2018 before you install any flooring material over a concrete slab, it is important to inspect the slab for defects. How to install engineered wood over concrete howtos diy.

Concrete floor overlay installation the concrete network. Fill low spots with patch or selfleveling concrete. Tips on fixing cracks, chips, spalls, uneven spots and more. First you should put down 2x4 inch lengths of wood. Next, if the tiles joints are deep, youll want regrout them to bring them flush with the tile so that the lines wont telegraph show through the vinyl floor. Installations over gypcrete lumber liquidators flooring co. Porcelain and ceramic tile are great conductors of heat, so your home will get the full benefit of the radiant heating system. Before we describe crack, movement, and damage patterns and diagnosis in concrete slabs, we need to introduce three different types of poured concrete floor slabs. However, if you find that the floor has seriously cracked or crumbled, the cracks are likely to reoccur even after being patched up. These changes cause the concrete floor to heave, resulting in an uneven. Install cork flooring over concrete as long as the floor is level and clean. Loose, cracked tiles will cause your installation to. Is moisture settling under the concrete and freezing. How to install floating hardwood floors over concrete.

Concrete overlays resurfacing concrete with new colors and. Installing vinyl flooring over ceramic tile this old house. Make sure your contractor follows these guidelines for concrete floor preparation. Sweep the concrete floor with a broom to remove any visible debris. Tom meehan, a tile installer and owner of cape cod tileworks in harwich, massachusetts, replies. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin, run a finger over the filler to make it flush against the concrete floor. Cork is easy on the feet, which makes it ideal for kitchen areas. Cracks and gaps can be filled with portland cementbased fillers. The vertical displacement associated with settlement cracks. Soil that contains clay will expand when it becomes wet, creating enough upward pressure to crack and lift a slab floor. A concrete overlay makeover how i resurface ugly concrete.

Overlays can also be placed over other flooring materials, such as vinyl tile or wood. Fix concrete repair cracked concrete floors youtube. I suggest laying out felt paper over the concrete, sealing the joints with an asphalt adhesive and then laying the wood floor over as though you were installing a floating floor. Cork has been used as flooring for centuries and was popularized by the architect frank lloyd wright in his pennsylvania homes. How to pour a new concrete slab over an older damage slab concrete, flooring, garage a friend asks about their garage floor that they are using as an exercise room and is wondering what is the best method they can use to level the floor with a new slab placed on top of it. The florida home i just purchased has many cracks in the concrete slab, some of them 10 ft. Gypsum concrete usage in the industry started in the 1980s due to the advantages over standard heavy concrete. Mop the floor with clean water and let it air dry when youre done. Painted concrete can be made porous with sandblasting or other hard. Jun 21, 2018 that said, installing a floating laminate floor over tile is not much different then putting one in over a concrete slab. How can i prepare uneven concrete basement floor for vinyl. Jul 17, 2017 before covering the concrete floor in your home, you might want to use it as your main flooring. Cracks, craters and seasonal movement along cracks are no problem.

Apr 25, 2016 the new concrete certainly isnt going to float up in the air or slide off. We had a building that had an existing concrete floor that was poured directly on the ground. I have read in some places that you need a vapour barrier to put over the concrete before installing the plywood and in other places to just glue the plywood to the concrete floor. The soapy water will remove most stains, but may not. Before you install any flooring material over a concrete slab, it is important. Technically, cement board can be laid over a concrete slab as the base for a tile installation. A floating subfloor is flooring that actually never touches. Dips, bulges and cracks occur frequently as concrete cures and ages. I have read in some places that you need a vapour barrier to put over the concrete before installing the plywood and in other places to just glue the plywood to the. Should concrete floors be sealed before laying laminate. Our handyman installed an engineeredwood mohawk floating floor over our uneven concrete floor with only minor leveling. Or, if your floor base material settles and becomes offset, it will crack.

Floating floors require floor prep floating floors do require subfloor prep. After ensuring that the floor is level, install the moisture barrier sheeting of polyethylene film, overlapping the edges by 8 inches. Also, the possibility of dampness, however small, is greater when there are fewer membranes between. Installing laminate flooring over concrete neednt be a drag. The overlay material was a total of 14 inch thick over an old concrete floor. Oct 07, 2017 laying laminate flooring over concrete can look great and last for many years when installation factors involving the characteristics of concrete are addressed. Do i need to repair cracks in concrete before laying laminate.

Thinset on the floor for a floor installation using engineered wood. The purpose of the information is to outline ideal flooring options and applications over gypcrete. Can you put a concrete floor over ceramic tile floor. Before you install any flooring material over a concrete slab, it is important to inspect the slab for defects. How to lay a floating subfloor over concrete part one. We resurfaced the concrete with our overlay, stamped a cobblestone pattern into it, and pitched the overlay away from the house to shed water. Cracks in the concrete will lead to an uneven surface for installation and will often produce dust that can contaminate the laminate and the material used to hold it in place. The new concrete certainly isnt going to float up in the air or slide off. Follow the steps below to begin preparations for this process. I would be more leery of a thin overlay, because it is going to have basically no bond with the underlying tile though it could be sprayed with an epoxy bonding agent to help some, so while it will not lift on its own or under foot traffic, uneven weighting by heavy. How to pour a new concrete slab over an older damage slab. They said laying tile over a cracked concrete slab was impossible, so i designed a new method that produces a beautiful floating tile floor. Your only other alternative which i hate is to put in a new floating floor with pressure treated womanized lumber laying on the cement floor as joists and then a plywood tg subfloor. Installing hardwood floor over concrete the home depot.

Concrete overlays resurfacing concrete with new colors. Installing a floating subfloor over your cement floor can add warmth, homeliness, and character to your room. I think cosmic was giggling over the saying that all concrete cracks. Jul 11, 2009 a carpet is very forgiving to a floor with cracks that might continue to move around. You may be tempted to try a repair for the concrete of your garage floor, possibly even a diy fix using a coating such as epoxy. Rough scrape the floor to remove major protrusions. Before cleaning concrete, you must know what type of laminate flooring you are installing. We use the three carson dunlop associates sketches shown here to comment on the occurrence, causes, and significance of cracks and movement in poured concrete slab construction. Pretty much every manufacturer lists the same limitations for cracks that can be bridged. General installation steps for the new floating tile floor. Normally you would jackhammer the old concrete out and do it right. Sep, 2019 laying down your floating flooring directly onto concrete is a nono. Check for cracked or loose tiles and grout these could be signs of a poor floor. Experienced professionals pay close attention to managing moisture and minimizing wood floor expansion and contraction when preparing to install hardwood floors on concrete slabs.

I want to pour new concrete over the top of the cracked slab and on a gradual incline to meet the garage floor. Concrete crack repair for new laminate floor youtube. How to lay tile over cracked concrete home guides sf gate. The compound can be used over wood or concrete subfloors, but is only helpful when the flawed areas are minor. Placing new concrete over old in decorative concrete. Installing a hardwood floor over a concrete slab american.

Aug 23, 2019 the best options for flooring over a concrete slab foundation are woodlaminate, carpet, or tile for your whole house. A concrete slab provides a firm, stable base for pavers. Once youve removed lose or broken pieces, patch the empty sections with a liquid cement or mortar, letting it settle level with the tile floor. How to install laminate flooring over concrete 2020 home. The first thing i would do is figure out why the concrete is heaving. Engineered wood flooring offers the timeless look of hardwood, but is perfect for basements and other areas where moisture can be an issue. Can you install wood laminate on uneven concrete floor. But doing so is a very laborious, timeconsuming process that is likely more trouble than it is worth.

In all the above cases, it is recommended to completely replace the floor to prevent serious problems in the future. Using a vnotched trowel, spread adhesive over a section of the floor. The subfloor flatness requirements for a floating floor are the same as for a glue down floor. Just make sure that the existing tile floor is in decent shape level and welladhered to the tile substrate. If you are not sure how to proceed, you might want to bring in a building engineer for advice. In new england, a 34 hardwood floor installed directly over concrete will absorb moisture from the concrete slab, and the boards will swell and cup. However the building supports were placed directly on. Install basement flooring over concrete surface improvenet. How to construct a floating floor insulation kingspan. If you are taking about hydronic, infloor heating tubes are in the concrete or cementlike material, whomever told you this is incorrect. Also, the possibility of dampness, however small, is greater when there are fewer membranes between your concrete foundation and your floating floor. Follow these steps to install an engineered wood floor in your home.

In addition, tile flooring will not expand as it warms or contract as it cools. Click this link for my other laminate flooring tutorials. Use a concrete grinder to remove any oil, adhesive or paint from the floor before gluing down laminate, then sweep and vacuum up any debris. Im a first time home owner, inexperienced with these types of jobs, and just trying to figure out the best way to approach this. Installing hardwood floor over concrete i have always loved hardwood floors and would like to have one in my dining room. I just had to wait for my wife to reach the im gonna leave you threshold,before i installed it. There is about 150 sq ft off to the side lshaped basement that is very uneven. Repair of the cracked floor will require removal of the cracked ceramic floor tiles, including. The basic rules of laying laminate flooring dictate that the subfloor over which it is laid must be completely clean, flat and. You can create a floor that is appealing and that will act a barrier between the cold cement and your interior. If there is no damp proof membrane in the concrete floor, one minimum 300 micron 1200 gauge polythene should be laid with joints well lapped and folded, to prevent the passage of ground water, over the concrete floor slab, or beam and block floor, prior to installing the insulation boards. Sep 06, 20 we install a hardwood floor on concrete using the direct stick method.