Can GG and RH please read and advise: Karndean

[mint]

Just waiting for my samples and have settled on stone effect and the strips.

But today I had an email from the kitchen fitter pointing out that, as the Karndean is to be laid on top of both the dining area and the kitchen area and that the floors are of slighlyt different heights, there might be a problem with settling of the new vinyl tiles.

Also he doesn't know the material and he says that some of these vinyl tiles need to be rollered over after laying as they need pressure to aid adhesion.

So, as you have both had these floors, did your workmen roller the floors afterwards?

If I were in the UK, I'd just ask Karndean to send one of their specialists.  Here in France, they couldn't even be bothered to order the samples, merely telling me that they'd run out of samples and that they weren't sure when they'd be in.  Clearly, they are not interested in someone wanting only 31 sq metres and who keep sending emails and ringing them, asking questions each time!

I think OH and I are coming to the conclusion that we will keep the original tiled kitchen floor and just do the dining area floor.  The island will straddle the 2 floors but we will make a virtue of necessity and think about the different floors as a visual separation of the 2 functions of eating and cooking.

In particular, could you say what sort of sub-floor you had?  We managed to prise some plinths away and we could see that under the  laminate in the dining area, there appears to be some sort of plastic insulation laid over, we presume, a thin screed.

Thanks in advance to you both and anyone else who might comment or know what we should be doing.

[Gardengirl]

Good morning, Mint. Our kitchen floor had levelling stuff put on it by the installers. Neither of us has any recollection of the tiles being rolled, although we can't definitely say they weren't.

The shop we bought the tiles through installed them; the owner is particularly keen on Karndean, although he sells a lot of carpets and other floor coverings, and does the larger Karndean floors himself.

About 2 different levels, I can't see how that would work, unless the whole floor was levelled out so they were at the same height, which might not be possible anyway.

Our kitchen had very old thermoplastic tiles underneath our floor covering at that time, which were removed by the men who laid the Karndean tiles, and the sub-floor is concrete, the same as the whole ground floor.

I think your idea of having 2 separate sections sounds a good compromise. Good luck, and maybe Russethouse will pop in with more useful info.

[mint]

Thanks, GG, I think my kitchen man is nervous about doing something he's never done before.

He did say that in the UK, he knows people who do nothing else than lay this type of flooring and he said they were really specialists and had all the right tools for the job.

Tell you what, if I were younger, I'd have a go at doing it myself!

[Chancer]

Is Karndean glued or self adhesive?

If so then you are probably paying a premium price for an imported product only to risk it being incorrectly installed by an inexperienced fitter.

There are lots of ones now that are laid without glue and click together like laminate flooring, lames Senseo at Leroy Merlin another make at Brico-depot plus the own brands from €13 per metre, why dont you consider them? They would be easier and more familiar to him and easy to replace if one is laid only to find a gap or mistake in trimming.

For différences in level you have the choice of a ragréage, a threshold strip or if using the interlocking types I mentioned you could make up the height difference by laying one or more insulation layers, they come in rolls or tiles from 2mm to 10mm thick.

[mint]

Thanks, Chance.  I will indeed have a look and have in fact told the transporter not to leave room in his van for my tiles.

The Karndean goes on with an adhesive which you can buy from them.

The poseur is now raving about Ikea's laminate.  I had more or less decided against wood or wood effect but I suppose a limed or washed look might work.  You see, I already have LOTS of wood in that room.

Also, now that the old tiles are going to be covered up, OH has decided he absolutely LOVES them and so it will only be a new floor in the dining part and a threshold strip, as you have suggested.

BTW, you might remember giving me advice on le dressing.  The first part is finished and the ebeniste is bringing it on Monday morning.  So, I have spent all day painting the room.  Will comment on the emulsion on my emulsion thread.