anybody experienced at installing flooring?

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by hummblebee, Jul 4, 2006.

  1. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    I need advice! Please help me!!! :) :eek:
     
  2. ihmurria

    ihmurria fini

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    what kind of flooring?
    (check out homedepot.com, they have good advice on there if I recall)
     
  3. YankNBurn

    YankNBurn Owner

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    Laminate? Carpet? Vynal?

    I have done the sheet like vyna flooring before, the little squares and laminate.
     
  4. kissya

    kissya Head Mistress

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    We need more info.....what kind of flooring??
     
  5. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    It's vinyl tile - problem is the subflooring. It's a rental house, I'm fixing it for myself and the landlord really doesn't give two shits as long as I don't cost him too much. There's no plywood subfloor (as we found when we'd removed all FOUR layers of vinyl/linoleum!) - it's boards, and I can't seem to get them very clean/smooth. I don't think the tiles will stick to it, but I don't think I have enough depth (to the trim) to put in a sheet of plywood.
     
  6. KozmicBlue

    KozmicBlue Senior Member

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    I'm an expert and parquet floors :H
     
  7. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    Better expanation - here's a copy of a post I put up on a DIY forum, that hasn't got a response:

    Landlord loaned us a tool for scraping the old stuff off, which I was doing very carefully. Upon further inspection, there were TWO layers of vinyl tile, and a sheet of linoleum beneath that! I decided to try and scrape off the tile, and if the sheet didn't look TOO bad, I would wash it well and affix the new tile to it. While I took a break from the scraping, my dear boyfriend decided to help and got a little overzealous. When I got back to it, he'd hacked all the layers away in a big chunk of the room. So now, after all of that, we're down to wood. The linoleum seems to have had some kind of paper sheet under it, which didn't pull up completely. So the wood is really gross looking. In one spot (where the washer goes), it looks like there was a little water damage around the edge, but like I said, it's a rental house - we probably won't stay more than 1-2 years, and I know that landlord doesn't care. The wood is old floorboards, which look like they've always been covered. I got this far with the trim around the edges intact, and there's a 1/8-1/4 " gap from it to the floor.

    I've tried scrubbing the boards, but they aren't getting to the point where I'd think the tile would stick. I just want a passable solution that isn't too time-consuming or expensive. Do I need to lay thin plywood out for under the tile? Or is there something thinner that will work?

    Please help me! I want to get on with my life!
     
  8. YankNBurn

    YankNBurn Owner

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    They make a product for filling in flaws like that, some will use plater of paris others will use this product designed for wood floors, would use a trowel to smooth it in and sand it for real smooth finish. If that is too much they doo make another wood item that is very thin but prety strong about 1/4 inch thick looks like a door skin and it will again ride over the rough area making a plywood like finish just 1/4" thicker than what you had. Also could remove the trim carefully put down plywood and renail the trim back up. You may need to also cut the trim around the doors since it normally would drop down to the trim that surrounded the floor.
     
  9. kissya

    kissya Head Mistress

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    If the wood is sound ..you could go with lauan....then tile.
     
  10. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    I'm worried about removing the trim, because it's an old house that's obviously been half-assedly repaired many times- no matter how careful I am I think I'd end up taking a chunk of wall with it! If I had to choose, I'd probably just ignore the trim and put the plywood up to it intead of sinking beneath it. (does this make sense? I'm not entirely sure I'm thinking in the proper language today.)

    "go with lauan" ? what does this mean?
     
  11. HippyLandscaper

    HippyLandscaper learning a new way

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    sub-flooring would be the best, then you need to go along all the seems with floor prep or something of the sort to make sure your seems don't show through your vinyl. If you want to skip the sub-flooring, you can just do the floor prep. you would probably need a bit more of the floor prep, but this stuff is easy to use. You just mix it with water to the desired thickness, and smooth it onto the floor with a putty knife or those other tools, I can't think of the name for them, but they are the things like what the concrete guys use to spread their concrete. After you get done with all of your prep work, use a chalk line and snap two lines, across the midle of the room, that intersect with each other. Make sure to take your measurements of walls that you believe to be square. Start laying your tiles from the center of the room, following your lines. This will make it look like a professional job, as compared to a diy job, making the room look nicer.
     
  12. YankNBurn

    YankNBurn Owner

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    Yes it does make sense and as it is not your house would be the easiest solution. Again they do make a ver thing wood product it is 7/16 " thick and costs about $8.00 a sheet here. They use it for just that reason to true up the flooring.
     
  13. kissya

    kissya Head Mistress

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    Lauan, is very thin plywood.
     
  14. HippyLandscaper

    HippyLandscaper learning a new way

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    If you wanted to remove the trim you could take your utility knife(or box cutter) and run it along the top of the trim. Then you can remove the trim, without peeling paint. Also if you do end up beaking part of the wall with the trim, most likely it will be part that is under the trim, and the trim will cover it up when put back on. If you decided to butt up against the trim with your flooring, it will work to, but your cuts have to be precise on your cuts, where-as if you remove the trim first, you can be up to a 1/4 inch off on your cuts and it will just be covered up by the trim
     
  15. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    Thank you all! I can't wait till my bf gets home from work and I can go to the store! I'll probably just go with the wood or floor prep, whichever one's cheaper. (although it sounds like wood is less work!)

    Kissya - where in TN are you?
     
  16. kissya

    kissya Head Mistress

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    I'm in eastern TN....20 min from the Smokey mountains.:D
     
  17. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    True, but I'm probably less worried about exact cuts than a lot of people, being that I sew so much. I have good cutting tools, a good mat, and a good eye. I just want it to look DECENT, not great. It's not like this place will ever look like a nice house - it's far past that. I just want a floor that can look clean!
     
  18. HippyLandscaper

    HippyLandscaper learning a new way

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    even if you go with the wood, it is a good idea to use something to keep your seams from showing through. Depending on how long you are planning to live there. The seams most likely will not show through right away, but after a few years
     
  19. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    Okay, so that's basically just a putty-type compound that goes in the cracks? And the same stuff would go in any screw-holes right?
     
  20. hummblebee

    hummblebee hipstertist.

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    Cool! I'm out near Nashvegas (Lebanon). Don't know many ppl out here - if you're ever in the neighborhood drop me a line! :D
     

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