Hi I've read really good advice on this forum for fitting engineered board and as I'm about to do the same I'd like to confirm what I think the best advice is if possible I'm installing 14mm board onto old, existing floor boards. The existing is not too bad but there is a level change and a dip that I can feel through the carper. Also, when the children jumps on a particular part it vibrates a lot. Where I've looked so far under the boards I've seen the level change is where a replacement MDF cut has been put in and under the vibrating part the brick support below seems to have fallen over. I've not yet managed to inspect all due to building works blocking access. My plan is to level the existing as much as possible, put down 6mm wsb plywood with 5mm gaps between (although would be good if could avoid), lay 3mm underlay board and then floating floor lay the engineered board. Obviously 10mm expansion gap around perimeter but not sure what to do where it meets a 5m long step. I will put on a oak edging, but what about the expansion? Is this the best method? I'm not planning on using any levelling compound. Thanks
Butt the ply together and leave an expansion gap at the edges Doesn’t need to be level but straight enough so that if you put a 2m level down the biggest gap underneath is less than 4mm. Repair the brick or provide some other support so there’s no movement in the floorboards Replace the ‘mdf’(assuming you mean chipboard) as it sounds like it’s the wrong thickness probably 22mm instead of 18mm. Get the subfloor right otherwise you’ll kick yourself for rushing it when the floor takes twice as long to fit and doesn’t join up tight. with the step leave the gap then face the front (riser) of the step with a board
Thanks for the advice, I definitely need to get it right. Things like that will bug me every time I look at it if I don't. With the step, how much gap? I assume the boards aren't guaranteed to expand by exactly 10mm. I was planning on using the edging in the picture
10mm gap is somewhat nominal and considered the minimum it depends on how long/wide the run of boards is over 7-8m requires bigger gaps sometimes with an expansion gap in the middle of the run, board manufacturers specify their own requirements. At the bottom of the step 10mm gap which will be covered by the 14mm board on edge, as this is only one board wide personally id just leave a 1mm gap either side the width of this facing board (where it meets the floor below and the nosing above) and 10mm at the edges where it meets the wall covered by the skirting. Looks like a nice nosing, assuming the tounge of the board fits in that groove, then you need to put the nose on first and work your way back across the room from there
Thanks again The floor at the bottom of the step will be tile but I'll leave the 1mm at the top So I don't leave a gap between the flooring and nosing? Or just let the nosing be pushed out as the door expands?
Oh I see in that case you might not need to face the step, down to personal preference and how the tiler finishes.. No gap between the floor and the nosing as there’s nothing for the nose to hit that would cause the floor to buckle
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