out of interest - why no float installation? just too much movement?
That's about it...not lateral movement, more that there's just too much give in it. Judging from your pics, I'm assuming the wood floor is going over a wide expanse of open area - and thus, I've always found that over time, the wood starts bouncing a bit too much, as it has to be laid on a "bouncy underlay" in the first place. Also, it inhibits proper polishing and finishing of the floor, which needs to be done on a solid base to work well.
Oh and that "AcouBond" thing is a con.
and if you glue, how does it handle expansion laterally?
I assume that site answered your questions.
Helios - Member
Hijack -
dd - In a victorian terrace with the original solid floor - what would you recommend? Screed on top of old and then use adhesive or would it be possible to dig up the old floor and then put in a suspended timber floor instead? Or is that getting into hugely huglely expensive?
If it is indeed a Vicky terrace, then the concrete floor won't be original and will most likely have been poured in sometime in the seventies or eighties. The original joists may have rotted or there may have been other problems that led to poured concrete. Then again, it was all the rage, so they might have poured it for the hell of it.
Digging it out and trying to install joists and the suspending a timber floor will be verrrry (serious teeth sucking) expensive and will more than likely show the original problems which then have to be solved. Depending on the existing screed, you have a few options...
1. Measure for moisture content, flatness (don't get hung up on levels, flatness is what you want) and if ok, DPM, and glue wood floor.
2. If really out of flat, then latex (doable for a competent DIYer...I've done it loads, and I still hate having to do it), leave to go off and properly bond to concrete for a week or two, then primer and adhesive.
3. You could always dig down around two inches, then latex, float (bonded to the latex) T/G plywood and then nail to this.
4. Dig the whole thing out and wish you'd never done it.
They're listed in price rising from 1 - 4. If you had the money, 3 would be the warmest and quietest solution. But 1 and 2 will be just fine as well.
