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Carpets, Lino & Flooring
Laminate on uneven floor
Anonymous user 1 March 2024 - 2.45 PM
Hi there I have a room that is both floorboards and concrete. About 2/3 of the room is floorboard, and 1/3 is concrete (on the edge). Now the concrete is slightly higher than the floorboards, creating a slight dip as you walk over it. I am going to install laminate using fibreboard underlay. I realise there may be slight dip and I am ok with this, but in your experiences, would the laminate crack or break in future? I am hoping it does not, especially after using fibreboard underneath. Thanks in advance
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9 Answers
Anonymous user
Hi Amrit.
If the differential in levels is more than 3mm you will generally find that flooring manufacturers recommend leveling. Although the laminate will most likely not crack you will end up with a horrible bounce in the floor.
As it is the timber floor that is lower you will need to use a flexible floor leveling compound, there is a product on the market called Green bag. Using a straight edge of about 6ft you would be able to feather out the step until almost unnoticeable.
Hope this is useful to you.
Regards
Kieron
Answered8 January 2012
25
Anonymous user
Could you not lay hardboard on the existing floor boards to raise the floor to the same as the concrete floor that will solve the dip but it all depends on the hight difference. laminate wont snap or crack as its rather robust unless it's the less expensive and very thin stuff. But it might be a bit bouncy in the area of the dip.
Answered8 January 2012
23
HD Design and Build
It is very likely to creak, my advise would be to gun out the concrete and lay some leveling compound over the top
Answered8 January 2012
21
Anonymous user
Hi amrit,
Depending on how slight the dip is??? It is probably best, to try and flattern it out. Laminate has a habit of cracking along the joints, if the floor is uneven. It might take a few years though. Fibre board undelay isn't any good on screed (concrete), it will be ok on the timber part of your floor. Maybe try a slightly thinner moisture barrier underlay for the concrete... and try to level it that way, or try a floor leveling compoud or hardboard before fitting your underlay.
Kind regards
Mark
Answered9 January 2012
20
Anonymous user
try fitting ply or hardboard to the floor boards first to bring the hight up
Answered8 January 2012
14
Anonymous user
Hi,
I have layed many a laminate floor and yes if your subfloor is not sound and level, you can expect laminate to part at the joints. You could be lucky but why risk it. Find something to bring up floorboard level to concrete then comence.
Answered8 January 2012
13
ABM plastering
I wouldn't say the laminate would'nt break as its made of Stearn stuff, why don't you lay some hardboard on the wooden floor to bring it up slightly??,,if you do it needs to be fixed every 6 inches in all directions. If by doing this the hardboard is slightly higher than the concrete you could always use floor levelling compound on top of the concrete to make up the difference....
Answered8 January 2012
12
Anonymous user
it possibly could, to be safe lay hardboard (3 to 5mm)or osb (6 to 9mm) over the lower area to level them off a bit and then lay the laminate over the top on the fiberboard underlay.
Answered8 January 2012
11
Anonymous user
yes it would crack after a few months, you should not lay over the dip, why don't you try raising the floorboards depending on how much the differance is by use 3, 6, 9mm plywood sheets as long as you secure these to the floorboards it will give you a level floor.
Answered8 January 2012
9