What to do with a concrete floor?

[tiffy]

Hello fellow forummers,

 

I recently moved into a council house with concrete floors and thought I'd ask for some advice rather than go ahead and do my own thing in case I do it wrong.

Basically what should I do before laying vinyl floorcovering or laminate flooring?

The concrete creates lots of dust and has some cracks or pits in it so isn't level in places.

I'm also wondering since it's council property if they would help out with making the floor smoother in the kitchen. It missed out on the Decent Homes programme as the previous tenant was elderly and probably didn't want the disruption so I have to wait a few years to have the house refurbished but i do need to get cracking with the floors as the dust gets everywhere.

Thanks in advance.

[MonkeyLover]

Hello fellow forummers,

 

I recently moved into a council house with concrete floors and thought I'd ask for some advice rather than go ahead and do my own thing in case I do it wrong.

Basically what should I do before laying vinyl floorcovering or laminate flooring?

The concrete creates lots of dust and has some cracks or pits in it so isn't level in places.

I'm also wondering since it's council property if they would help out with making the floor smoother in the kitchen. It missed out on the Decent Homes programme as the previous tenant was elderly and probably didn't want the disruption so I have to wait a few years to have the house refurbished but i do need to get cracking with the floors as the dust gets everywhere.

Thanks in advance.

 

You could paint it, with some paint specially made for garage floors. Make sure you start opposite the door, so you dont get blocked in!

[alternageek]

you could polish it, if its in good shape. polished concrete floors look amazing.

 

http://truepolishedconcrete.com/photo_gallery/images/true_polished_concrete_school1.jpg

[Alien]

Levelling compound for the kitchen..just make sure you put plenty bonding down first. Cheap n easy.

[Darth Vader]

You can buy membranes for concrete flooring before laying laminates.

[willman]

If you want vinyl(from my very recent experience) fitted correctly i.e glued, the surface needs to be flat and free from ridges and bumps or they show through.

 

Laminate is easy - visqueen membrane(cheers chris71) followed by underlay then laminate.

Underlay varies in price -Wickes have some for £13 for 15sqm, laminate is as cheap as £5 a metre from many places including carpertfright. visqueen is about the same as underlay @ Wickes.(bought it all yesterday)

[sarahbelleee]

I' will suggest to install laminate. It's easy to install, easy to clean, looks very nice. The floor must be leveled first.

[Bedders]

Level floor with self levelling compound. Allow to dry thoroughly. Paint with a solution called stabalising solution which will bind any chalky or dusty nature it may have. Putting down laminate without dealing with the problem will still mean you will get dust creeping between the cracks if you don't deal with the problem first. Like papering over the cracks...the cracks are still there!

 

 

See:-

http://www.wickes.co.uk/bin/venda?ex=co_wizr-locayta&template=wz_locayta&pageno=1&perpage=9&collate=cat%3Aivtype%3Aprice%3Apdxtpromotion&refine_sort_alph=pdxtdoorwid&threshold=90&fieldrtype=type&termtextrtype=invt&typertype=exact&typekeywordsearch=keyword&termtextkeywordsearch=self+levelling+compound

 

and:-

http://www.wickes.co.uk/bin/venda?ex=co_wizr-locayta&template=wz_locayta&pageno=1&perpage=9&collate=cat%3Aivtype%3Aprice%3Apdxtpromotion&refine_sort_alph=pdxtdoorwid&threshold=90&fieldrtype=type&termtextrtype=invt&typertype=exact&typekeywordsearch=keyword&termtextkeywordsearch=stabilising+solution

 

They should do job nicely.

[boyfriday]

Level floor with self levelling compound. Allow to dry thoroughly. Paint with a solution called stabalising solution which will bind any chalky or dusty nature it may have. Putting down laminate without dealing with the problem will still mean you will get dust creeping between the cracks if you don't deal with the problem first. Like papering over the cracks...the cracks are still there!

 

 

See:-

http://www.wickes.co.uk/bin/venda?ex=co_wizr-locayta&template=wz_locayta&pageno=1&perpage=9&collate=cat%3Aivtype%3Aprice%3Apdxtpromotion&refine_sort_alph=pdxtdoorwid&threshold=90&fieldrtype=type&termtextrtype=invt&typertype=exact&typekeywordsearch=keyword&termtextkeywordsearch=self+levelling+compound

 

and:-

http://www.wickes.co.uk/bin/venda?ex=co_wizr-locayta&template=wz_locayta&pageno=1&perpage=9&collate=cat%3Aivtype%3Aprice%3Apdxtpromotion&refine_sort_alph=pdxtdoorwid&threshold=90&fieldrtype=type&termtextrtype=invt&typertype=exact&typekeywordsearch=keyword&termtextkeywordsearch=stabilising+solution

 

They should do job nicely.

 

Surprisingly well informed for a Wednesdayite

[dieselbabe]

We have concrete flooring all in the kitchen,hall and downstairs toilet, living room. We found using laminate easy way in the kitchen, and also the council level it out in the kitchen and the hall, and also put us in tiles also in the living room and hall after they level it all off and repaired cracks in the floor. If you ring the council and ask for an inceptor to come out and look like we did, you may also get the same repairs like we did. Have to admit thou, 2 years later i still get a lot of dust since ive had it done.But the floor's look better.