Floating Laminate floor question

[gregpark]

LVP is the same as LVT, just in wood plank form. The stone look Luxury Vinyl Tile is usually in 1'x2' tiles. I usually install them Roman style with butt joints splitting the butt joints of the last course. More waste this way but a good look.

[cstreit]

Thanks. I assumed so, but I didn't want to assume so.

[911 Rod]

Make sure your floor is flat.
Otherwise it will click and you will end up pulling it up to level it.
Ask me how I know.

[cstreit]

Yep thanks. Its poured concrete so pretty darn good.

How much does thickness matter?

6mm vs. 8mm for example?

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Yep thanks. Its poured concrete so pretty darn good.

So was mine. It only takes a little dip.

[gregpark]

Industry standard discrepancy is a quarter inch in ten feet. Flatter is better of course but click together is pretty forgiving. High spots are more problematic than low spots. A poured slab is generally not as consistently flat as a suspended wood sub floor. It all depends on how well they troweled it. A quick flash of Feather Finish patching concrete on low spots is easy. Don't use a gypsum based floor stoneing, always a Portland based on a slab.

[sammyg2]

Glue the stuff down, or it will make noise when you walk on it.
Not a fan.

[gregpark]

^ not true if done correctly. Floating floors work better than adhered when done right. The loose layed method also eliminates a lot of prep work. The biggest mistake do it yourselfers make is not allowing a quarter inch expansion gap all the way around. When it's all clicked together it becomes a monolithic unit and will expand a bit when summer comes around and can lift the flooring off the floor. Undercut all door jambs and don't cut even one tile tight to the wall

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Industry standard discrepancy is a quarter inch in ten feet. Flatter is better of course but click together is pretty forgiving. High spots are more problematic than low spots. A poured slab is generally not as consistently flat as a suspended wood sub floor. It all depends on how well they troweled it. A quick flash of Feather Finish patching concrete on low spots is easy. Don't use a gypsum based floor stoneing, always a Portland based on a slab.

How is the concrete guy getting the floor flat? Our guys use a power trowel and it seems like we are always going back and forth with the finisher and installer trying to get it flat. Concrete guys says it's within his specs and the installer says no. Of course, the installer doesn't want any call backs and wants it flat as glass.

Originally Posted by gregpark

^ not true if done correctly. Floating floors work better than adhered when done right. The loose layed method also eliminates a lot of prep work. The biggest mistake do it yourselfers make is not allowing a quarter inch expansion gap all the way around. When it's all clicked together it becomes a monolithic unit and will expand a bit when summer comes around and can lift the flooring off the floor. Undercut all door jambs and don't cut even one tile tight to the wall

We always leave a gap for expansion and contraction around the room.

[gregpark]

It's very rare that I run into a slab that I don't have to fine tune. I just do it myself with Feather Finish. Great stuff, ramp it to 0 and it doesn't crack. For the glue down LVT the substrate has to be like a baby's bottom. The floating click together, not so perfect. We love the click! it's a money maker for installers

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by gregpark

It's very rare that I run into a slab that I don't have to fine tune. I just do it myself with Feather Finish. Great stuff, ramp it to 0 and it doesn't crack. For the glue down LVT the substrate has to be like a baby's bottom. The floating click together, not so perfect. We love the click! it's a money maker for installers

Are you grinding the high spots with a big walk behind machine or hand held?

I’ll bet. The installers can install 1,500 SF in a day.

[gregpark]

Grinding is rare. It's messy, expensive and certainly not a fun job. Cutting humps out and pouring self leveling concrete is more common than grinding but it's got to be a pretty badly poured slab in the first place to have to do that. Most times I can doctor up a slab without grinding or cutting by using a self leveler or patching compound to get it to spec. A spinning laser helps.

[A930Rocket]

No doubt grinding sucks. Dust everywhere and needs to be done early in the build process and the installers won’t do it.

[cstreit]

I think you guys under estimate my willingness to put up with a little bit of floor unevenness in a sunroom.

I'll check it with a straight edge and call it good.

[Salty Springs]

My vinyl plank floor walks perfectly, no noise, no clicking like the original Pergo laminates. My previous wood laminate was very spongy and the dark cherry finish showed every bit of dust and dirt (not to count the dog or cat hair) it was awful. Also if you have existing base down already it is a good time to rip it out and put a wider base down. It eliminates the shoe mold and looks much richer.
Dave

[gregpark]

That's just it, you're not building a watch here . A teensy bit of imperfection ain't no thang. When after all said and done no one will notice a floor that's a quarter inch out. I try my best to do as perfect a job but within reason. No house is perfect and you just work with it. Don't sweat the small stuff, it'll be beautiful in the end

[gregpark]

Here's a house I'm working on at the moment. They're up to $20M and counting. And believe me us finish guys are dealing with plenty of little imperfections, that's just normal in construction. A good craftsman can make a crappily built house look great and a bad craftsman can make a well built house look like crap.
This is actually a really well built place. This is one interior wall with a row of 9' doors. Some people have too much money!

[Salty Springs]

This is my floor during installation

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by gregpark

^ not true if done correctly. Floating floors work better than adhered when done right. The loose layed method also eliminates a lot of prep work. The biggest mistake do it yourselfers make is not allowing a quarter inch expansion gap all the way around. When it's all clicked together it becomes a monolithic unit and will expand a bit when summer comes around and can lift the flooring off the floor. Undercut all door jambs and don't cut even one tile tight to the wall

With due respect, my personal experience would indicate otherwise at least when it comes to Nucore Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl Planking (installed by a professional).

[cstreit]

Luckily our baseboard trip is near 1/2" thick so I have plenty of room to allow for expansion. I plan on using it particularly since this room will ahve more temp swings than others.