When friends and family pop round to see your spanking new flooring fresh from being fitted by the KH Flooring team you’ll always get admiring words of appreciation. However, as they heap complements on you about your taste and style, they often know very little about all the preparation that goes into fitting the perfect floor.
The Sub Floor
All great flooring installations start with the correct preparation of the sub-floor. This is crucially important when installing any type of flooring especially ones with a smoother profile. This will often involve the use of a product called screed or by laying perfectly flat plyboard.
Only a time served-flooring professional has the experience and knowledge of the different screeds available. Or, indeed, the correct ply board to use in differing circumstances. We don’t recommend trying to do these processes yourself!
Then there’s the use of a damp meter, applying a damp-proof membrane (if required), as well as installing underlay and grippers. It’s quite complex in truth.
Screed
There are many levelling compounds or ‘screeds’ on the market. All are designed to provide a smooth surface for fitting flooring. But only an experienced floor fitter will know the right one for your project and how to apply it correctly.
- Latex-based – Created from a mixture of powder and liquid latex it is usually applied to concrete once it has had a coat of primer. It should be laid between 1 and 40mm thick. Sharp sand can be added to latex screed if the job needs a stiffer mix. This product can be used over heating elements if you have installed under floor heating in your home or commercial space.
- Water-based – Rapid drying and hardens very quickly. This screed is easy to work with always gives a perfect smooth finish.
- ‘Flex’ – This screed is fibre-reinforced for use over wood or where there may be movement in the sub-floor.
- Feather Finish – Used mainly over ply board to cover joints and screw heads. It’s applied thinly to provide a smooth working surface to help fit products like vinyl and LVT.
Proof Of Damp?
Before the KH Flooring team lay any screed on concrete they will do a damp test with a Tramex Meter to determine if a damp-proof membrane is required. This is especially important for concrete floors which must be fully cured and sealed before any floor covering can be installed.
If damp-proofing is required, a liquid damp proof membrane is mixed, applied with a roller and left to dry according to the manufacturer instructions. Only then can the area be screeded ready for the floor covering to be laid.
Plying Our Trade
Usually, when fitting vinyl or LVT flooring on floorboards, ply-boarding is the process we employ. Thin ply is laid over the whole area then nailed or screwed at 6cm intervals ensuring all nail/screw heads are flush. A feather finish screed is then be applied where needed to create a perfect surface for the floor covering. Doing this properly will ensure a smooth luxurious finish.
Who Knew?
Surprising isn’t it? So much work is needed before the final flooring is laid. That’s what professional floor fitters do, so accept no less. And you can be sure that when your flooring is installed by KH Flooring it’s done right. All so you can enjoy your beautiful new floor confident it’s going to give you years of service and pleasure.
Call our team today on 0161 620 8422 or email info@khflooring.com and ask for a free quote for your next flooring project.