Cementing in for Engineered wood.

[EternallyLearning]

Hi. Very limited experience here. I recently paid someone to put down new boards and joists due to damp. They left it like this over the old fireplace block.

I don't know if that's a normal way to leave it or not. I'd expected him to board over it and had never really thought to raise the subject. The block is a bit uneven on top and the boards are 2cm thick so I guess it may have bulged up a little in places if he had (not by much, though).

I want to put engineered wood flooring in this room. Obviously I need something to fill this space up to the same level of the rest. He says it needs cementing in.

Is that right, what sort of cement do I use and how long does it need before I can board over it? Is there any period of time I need to leave to let moisture get fully out is what I'm thinking. And when it comes to cementing it in, do I just seal that gap under the skirting with caulk or something and then pour cement into the space and smooth it down with a plastering tool afterwards? Or is there more to it?

And while I'm asking questions, do the skirting boards need to come off? I know there's space needed around boards to allow for expansion but there's no space for them to fit under the skirting. Does that mean it has to come off and then be put back on on top of the engineered flooring so that there can be a non-visible gap for expansion?

Any answers at all would be really appreciated. I am very new at this.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Removing and re-fitting the skirts will always give the best finish.
Am I missing something here, why have you got someone to install tongue-and-groove pine floorboards if you wanted engineered wood?
And what is going on with that expanding foam?

 

[Tigercubrider]

That looks terrible

 

[EternallyLearning]

Removing and re-fitting the skirts will always give the best finish.
Am I missing something here, why have you got someone to install tongue-and-groove pine floorboards if you wanted engineered wood?
And what is going on with that expanding foam?

So the full background is that I bought this house and the survey came back with damp so in addition to doing damp-proofing in the walls, we took up the floor and replaced some of the joists and put down new boards. The kitchen definitely had rot, this room wasn't as bad but hard to tell until we got it up.

The tongue and groove pine floorboards are over the new joists and I understood the engineered wood would need them as a base rather than going directly on the joists. Is that wrong? My understanding was the pine boards then the underlay then the engineered wood.


He'd just done the expanding foam without asking and I'd figured maybe it was just an insulation thing around the mount where the fireplace had been. On second look I'm pretty sure he did it just to fill some of the gaps around the fireplace mount. It's not quite even and I figure when he got to that point he couldn't quite slot in the next tongue and groove board over it. Though it's low enough I'd say nearer the wall. So he stopped there and filled the gaps around it with the foam.

That looks terrible

Yes. It does to me as well. I'd expected the boards to go over it. It's pretty much on a level with the joists, but high enough on the nearer side that the boards might not click into place. What is the correct way to deal with a mount like that and get it even with the rest of the floor that's on joists? When he tells me that this part needs "cementing in", is that nonsense?

Thanks both of you for the replies. As you can tell, this isn't my area.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I would have thought that the best solution would have been to remove the slab, or at least some of it. Then use levelling compound to get it back to where you need it. However, it should have been done before he started.
I am not sure that T&G is best? But use what you have, as it’s due to be covered by engineered wood
However the odd bits where it meets the slab should probably be cut back so the joins are staggered

 

[EternallyLearning]

I would have thought that the best solution would have been to remove the slab, or at least some of it. Then use levelling compound to get it back to where you need it. However, it should have been done before he started.

Ah. Yes. That would have been much better. The mount was semi-hidden under the old floor and it honestly didn't occur to me. When they had the old floor up and were replacing the joists I could see it but he never mentioned it as a concern and I didn't think to ask.

So, now that this is the situation, I need something under there to support the engineered wood, right? It wouldn't be strong enough to just have a 1cm gap under that area or would it? If I need to fill that void is pouring in some cement there like he says the right solution?

I am not sure that T&G is best? But use what you have, as it’s due to be covered by engineered wood
However the odd bits where it meets the slab should probably be cut back so the joins are staggered

What's the reasoning behind staggering them? Do you mean these boards A, B and C should be staggered?


You can't see the actual edge of the mount because of the overspilling foam but he's cut the boards pretty much to where the edge of the mount is.

EDIT: I already have some of the engineered wood down over the pine in another room. This is the edge of it with measure to scale in case it's useful to see how thick the engineered wood is.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I am not an expert but I guess you could use floor leveller.
my comment about staggering was if the boards were continued over the (lowered) slab. The staggered joints make it stronger.

remove the skirting before using engineered wood.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

The tongue and groove pine floorboards are over the new joists and I understood the engineered wood would need them as a base rather than going directly on the joists. Is that wrong? My understanding was the pine boards then the underlay then the engineered wood.

No, you're not wrong, but it's a bit of a "nice" [IMO] product to use just as a sub-floor. Chipboard sheets would have been cheaper and quicker to install.

 

[EternallyLearning]

So the main outstanding question I have now is what sort of floor leveller or cement should I use? It's about 1cm deep for the most part. Maybe a little over in places. Do I just fill up the gap beneath the skirting with something so it doesn't seep through and then pour it over the block and to the edge of the boards / foam? And smooth it down with a plasterer's trowel?

 

[Tigercubrider]

Hopefully a flooring guy can answer, but yes.

 

[EternallyLearning]

I think probably I'll just lay a few pieces of wood over the block. If they rise above the level of the others slightly I'll just plane them down a little. Seems even simpler than cementing it in. Think I should have got him to do that at the time.