Many solid and engineered floors can be laid using wood flooring adhesive. . There are two main techniques for installing using adhesive, which will both be explained. Please remember that solid floors should always be glued down, not using the floating method.
Floating Floor Method
Gluing the tongues and grooves of the floor together does the floating floor method of fixing the wooden floor. This creates a new floor, which is “floating” over the original floor. Engineered floors can be floated over any solid sub floor and it is the preferred method for laying engineered floors.
It is a good option when the sub floor moisture content is unknown, because a damp proof membrane can be used between the floor and sub-floor to prevent moisture rising into the new flooring. When floating a floor, an underlay must be used to cancel the effect of any echo and also provide a leveling effect to the sub-floor.
This echo is caused by the two hard surfaces together which have a space between them. The noise echoes in this void. The purpose of underlay is to prevent any echo, as the two hard surfaces will not be adjacent with each other. The choice of underlay is huge for use when floating the floor all of which are adequate.
A good quality underlay is advised, as this ensures there is less sound echo from foot traffic. Generally the denser an underlay the less noise!
To float the floor:
Lay out the damp screen ensuring that the edges of the membrane continue up the side of the skirting. And overlap the seams by 100mm Lay out the underlay ensuring all areas of the floor are covered. Any areas left uncovered with the underlay will cause a bounce in the new floor and will be noisier.
A D3 rated PVA wood adhesive is used to glue the boards together.
Fit the floor by placing two beads of adhesive along the upper and lower sides of the “groove” joint. (It is a common mistake to think that the boards need to be glued along the “tongue” – this will simply push the adhesive too far into the joint and not create a firm bond between the boards.). Glue the complete length of the board| all the way down the planks as this prevents the board from creaking.
Leave the joints and glue to dry before walking on the floor. Any PVA glue, which has spilled or oozed onto the boards can easily be wiped off a lacquered or oiled board, or sanded off an unfinished floor. It must be noted that thermo treated solid oak has less density therefore water based pva will not adhere to the timber as well as normal oak.
The Glue Down Method
The glue down method of fitting a floor consists of using a specified adhesive applied directly to the sub-floor such as F Ball B92 enabling the new floor to stick directly to the original floor. This is a very stable method, which is the recommended option for most solid wood and parquet floors.
To install wood flooring using an adhesive, you must first ensure that the sub-floor is dry, level and structurally sound.
When laying onto concrete it is best to prime the area first using a PVA based primer to ensure a good bond to the floor. Old concrete should be checked for moisture and or contamination before the boards are laid. Both engineered flooring and solid flooring can be laid using the glue down method.
Installing:
The first thing to do is ensure the sub-floor is completely flat, free from dust and dirt and if necessary has been primed. | in a satisfactory condition (see above) Working in an area just large enough to complete within 30 minutes, apply the adhesive to the sub-floor using a trowel with the specified notch size ensuring the whole sub-floor surface has an even amount of glue.
Install the new floorboards ensuring all boards have been pulled tight and have not been moved out of place as other boards have been fitted. It may be advisable to clamp up any slightly bent boards at this stage.
Leave the adhesive to cure for 12 hours and do not walk on the floor until it is fully set.
Unlike PVA adhesive, flooring adhesive is very difficult to remove from the surface of the boards. Ensure that any spills on the boards are wiped off immediately before the boards have dried.
Other Adhesive based fitting methods:
The are other adhesive based fitting options used to fit flooring:
Adhesive backed underlay. The underlay has a sticky side covered in a plastic film, which is peeled back as the floor is laid. Envoy multi, Elastilon and Acoustalay adhesive 300/1000 are all types of adhesive backed underlay.
Precautions
It is imperative that wood is given adequate chance to acclimatize before being bonded to the sub-floor. Allow at least two weeks for a solid wood floor and 48 hours for an engineered wood floor.
Take a thorough moisture check of the sub- floor for latent or rising damp. If in any doubt an application of an epoxy resin damp screen is advised
Archive for April, 2009
Installing Wood Flooring Using Adhesive
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Faux Wood Blinds – a Great Alternative to Wood Blinds
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Creating a warm, relaxing, yet elegant home decor is the goal of nearly every homeowner. Arguably, one of the biggest ways to improve your home’s interior is with wood window blinds. These blinds instantly create a welcoming message to your family and guests as well. The biggest problem for many is the cost of wood blinds, but thankfully there is a solution to this with faux wood blinds. Here is what you need to know about this inexpensive alternative.
Of course, you can always utilize curtains, drapes or even plastic blinds over your windows, but there is something very special about the look of wood blinds. They come available in all types of styles and sizes. For those hard to fit windows you can even have custom wood blinds made. If your budget is tight then faux wood blinds can be used instead.
Faux wood blinds are actually made out of wood materials in addition to vinyl or a combination of both. Their appearance is so life-like that it can be extremely difficult for most people to actually see the difference with these types of blinds.
Why use faux wood blinds?
Naturally, the biggest reason for using faux wood blinds is the reduced cost involved. You will typically save up to 50% off the cost of real wood blinds with faux counterparts. This is substantial depending on the number of windows in your home.
Another big reason has nothing to with cost, but with your home’s location. Do you live in an area that is subject to extremely high humidity year round? Or are you looking for blinds that will stand up to the humidity in a bathroom? Well, wood blinds are very susceptible to moisture and can warp or swell quite easily. This is where faux wood blinds make for a perfect alternative.
You can find faux wood window blinds at home stores as well as home improvement centers such as Lowes and Home Depot. Another great place to search out these blinds is right online. There are many websites that specialize in all types of blinds and window coverings.
Once you purchase your blinds you can easily install them yourself in most all cases. All the necessary hardware and instructions are included with your blinds.
So, if you are looking for blinds that closely resemble wood, but come at a lower cost, faux wood blinds may be just what you are looking for.
Wood Doors are a Great Choice
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009When you are looking to purchase new interior doors or new exterior doors you should look into the many different choices of wood doors that you have to choose from. Wood doors offer many advantages over the other types of doors that you can purchase. One advantage is that wood doors are a great way to keep the heat in your home, and the cold air out. Another great advantage is the many different choices of style that you have in wood doors for both interior and exterior.
The different kinds of wood that is used to create your interior doors or exterior doors are going to offer you a different look. So it’s important that you know what you are getting before you actually purchase it.
The style that you will need to get for you doors are going to be determined by the style that your home or office already has. Knowing the style before you begin looking for your wood door will help to narrow down your choices. It’s also a good idea to determine your budget for your door before you begin looking as well. The prices for a wood door can become very expensive depending on the type of wood that you are getting. A mahogany wood door is going to be much more expensive than a pine wood door.
You should not rush in selecting just any door. If you are looking to purchase an entry door, than you are going to need to take the security of the door into consideration as well. This will begin with the door that you select and then the door hardware.
If you are looking to buy an interior wood door than you are not going to need to take anything much into consideration other than the way the door swings and the door handle to select.
The door hardware is an important part of installing your wood door. Your door handle is going to need to match the existing design of each room. So you may have a different handle for each side of the door. One that matches the inside of the room, and the other that matches the outside of the room. This is a consideration that so many people neglect, and it really makes a huge difference in the style of the house, and also the ability to choose the right door handle much easier.
You can find many other helpful information about selecting various door hardware much easier than ever before. This is something that I believe is the most important part of designing your home or office correctly. It’s the little things that always seem to make the biggest influence.