This blog is the result of over 20 years of working in building and renovations and a growing career in writing guides, columns and books.
Posted in 'How-to' Guides, Flooring on November 4th, 2010 by Julian Cassell – 5 Comments
Wooden floors can all be laid in many different ways. However, most commonly, engineered wood and laminate floors use a clip-together system, where sections of the floor are slotted together using a tongue-and-groove connection system. This system can vary between manufacturers (some require adhesive, although most now don’t), but the principle of how these floors are laid remain fundamentally similar. read more »
Posted in 'How-to' Guides, Flooring on November 1st, 2010 by Julian Cassell – Be the first to comment
Self-levelling compound is a latex-based product which creates a very smooth subfloor before fitting your final floor covering. It is used on concrete floors or screeds which are uneven, not level, or in poor condition. The compound must be mixed in very clean buckets as any impurities will affect the integrity of the mix – use a mixer paddle with a drill on a slow speed to avoid introducing too much air into the mix. The following sequence shows the standard steps for successfully laying self-levelling compound. read more »
Posted in 'How-to' Guides, Flooring on October 29th, 2010 by Julian Cassell – Be the first to comment
Sheets of plywood can be used to create a solid, smooth subfloor before laying your finished floor covering. Thin plywood (6mm) is used as an option to hardboard, providing a subfloor for coverings such as vinyl, carpet and soft tiles. Thicker plywood (12-18mm) is used to provide a rigid subfloor for hard tiles. You may choose to use large sheets (2.4m x 1.2m), which will cover a floor area more quickly with fewer joints read more »
Posted in 'How-to' Guides, Flooring on October 27th, 2010 by Julian Cassell – 2 Comments
Laying hardboard on top of wooden floors, commonly floorboards, provides a smooth, flat subfloor for some types of new floor covering. Hardboard is often used before laying carpet, sheet vinyl, and soft tiles such as cork, carpet and vinyl. Hardboard is generally laid smooth side up, especially when floor coverings are to be stuck down, such as with vinyl tiles. Always check which side up a manufacturer recommends for its particular floor covering. read more »
Posted in 'How-to' Guides, Flooring on October 26th, 2010 by Julian Cassell – Be the first to comment
Fixing any loose floorboards is a necessity for any floor – whether the floorboards are going to be the finished floor in your home, or, they are to be the base for a new floor covering (subfloor), in all cases it is important to make sure they are fixed down properly. Screws are normally used if the floor is not going to be exposed, whereas if the boards are on show, lost head nails are a good option. read more »
