Advice on fitting reclaimed parquet

[hardcastlephil]

Hi all,

I've just bought 30sqM of parquet to fit in my kitchen diner (project thread here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... and need some advice on how best to fit it.

The current floor is half floorboards and half concrete, which are level, but I plan to lay a base of plywood fist so I have a good starting point.

I've been told that as there isn't much bitumen on n the back, I can glue straight to the floor. What adhesive do I need to be using??

Also, where is best to start? I want to lay the blocks in a herringbone pattern, with a straight border round the edge. Do I begin with the border on one side then work across? The room is quite square which I hope helps.

After the floor is laid, I guess I hire a floor sander, and then seal? Are there mat/satin finishes available as I don't really want super shiny?

Sorry for all the questions,

Phil

[Sharted]

Sorry I have no tips re installation but when I renovated a parquet floor in a previous home I just sanded back and polished the fk out of it with floor (hard) wax and a polishing machine. The machine is a bit like an old school hall polisher but with just two rotating heads with lambswool mittens on.

I just polished once a week for a couple of years and it came up to a lovely shine and wasn't that slippery.

The polishing machine had a built in vacuum so the weekly polish also cleaned it thoroughly.

[DrDeAtH]

If you are going the varnish route. I recommend Bona Mega satin finish.
Three good coats will give a nice deep finish.

[scovette]

Nearly finished my similar project - I started in the middle of the room, and drew grids on the floor as it's easy to go off at an angle. I used a bitumen-based adhesive as my subfloor was already bitumen, but I think Lecol 5500 or similar should work for you. (I'm sure someone more knowledge will be able to advise better.) A plunge/track saw will come in useful for cutting the border. Then sand and fill with Lecol 7500. As above Bona laquer is good, and comes in matt and satin.

[hardcastlephil]

Thanks for the advice chaps - will take heed and keep you updated.

scovette - Sounds good; any pics?!

P

[scovette]

A couple of the rooms:

[alex_rsa]

I only had to glue down some loose blocks - used Gorilla glue.

When you come to sanding the floor I cannot recommend these guys enough (have used them twice), they rent you the 3 machines you need plus supply all the paper on a sale/return basis. The sanders work great and there is virtually zero dust:

floor sander rental

Oiled the floor afterwards with Osmo Polyx oil. Dries quickly and is tough. The more coats you do the deeper the colour.

[hardcastlephil]

Thanks again all,

scorvette - that looks a lovely job, If mine comes up 50% as good as that i'll be happy.

Finally - any preference on sikabond vs Lecol? They seem roughly the same price but will have to pull the trigger tonight.

Phil

[astroarcadia]

We have just skipped 100m2 of parquet from a school hall.

Could not give it away!

[will730i]

My tip for the edges - mark out in pencil two blocks' width plus a few mm from every wall. When laying the main pattern, ensure the tips of each block at the just overshoot the pencil line, but don't glue down the bit that over shoots. Then use a mini circular saw and some sort of guide rail/straight piece of wood to neatly cut off the overshoot corners. You can then easily lay the two edging courses up to the main part of the floor.

I did about 45sq m last year, and it seemed to work well. Oh, and don't scrimp on the sanders...

[jon-]

astroarcadia said:

We have just skipped 100m2 of parquet from a school hall.

Could not give it away!

WHERE IS THIS SKIP?! I really want some for my Kitchen

People are selling it for 40/sqm on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reclaimed-Original-Oak-W...

Edited by jon- on Tuesday 4th August 10:52

[AlexJ12]

hardcastlephil said:

Hi all,

I've just bought 30sqM of parquet to fit in my kitchen diner (project thread here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... and need some advice on how best to fit it.

The current floor is half floorboards and half concrete, which are level, but I plan to lay a base of plywood fist so I have a good starting point.

I've been told that as there isn't much bitumen on n the back, I can glue straight to the floor. What adhesive do I need to be using??

Also, where is best to start? I want to lay the blocks in a herringbone pattern, with a straight border round the edge. Do I begin with the border on one side then work across? The room is quite square which I hope helps.

After the floor is laid, I guess I hire a floor sander, and then seal? Are there mat/satin finishes available as I don't really want super shiny?

Sorry for all the questions,

Phil

Phil, I do this for a living, you need to start from the middle of the room and put either a chalk line or ideally a laser line shows on the top of the blocks (that's how i do it) get your spine in first and then let it dry or alternatively put a few piles of blocks on it to weight it down so it does not move but you have to make sure its dead straight.

Then as mentioned do measure out your double block border allowing 10mm for expanison (assuming you have to skirting boards off), most blocks are 70mm wide so allow 150mm from the wall.

Before it dries make sure the next row of blocks going in exactly on both size, if they over lap the first row something is wrong and needs to moved around a tad. Look at it this way if your out by 1-2mm on the first row, 5 rows along you'll be out buy 5-10mm!!!

Don't be tempted to go out the walls straight away, go row by row up and down on side so you can make sure its all going to go in tight.

With regards to the borders, if you know someone who is carpenter, see if you can get a Festool TS55 plunge saw or and rails for the borders (or the equivalant but less expensive) you'll thank me for that information if you want don't want to spend a day cutting in blocks on the borders and they still look crap after.

If you need any advise look on my profile and send me a email through my website or call me and i will help you anyway i can with pictures.

The best glue i have found is Lecol 5500 as long as the bitumen is not thick and shiny you should be ok, but no manufacture will garantee there glue unless all bitumen is removed, so unfortunatly you may have to take your chances unless you want to scrape every block.

Rule of thumb on blocks assuming the are 230 x 70 is about 62 blocks a square metre and rule of thumb on glue is 1kg per square metre.

Hope that helps and good luck.

Edited by AlexJ12 on Tuesday 4th August 21:37

[jules_s]

jon- said:

WHERE IS THIS SKIP?! I really want some for my Kitchen

People are selling it for 40/sqm on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reclaimed-Original-Oak-W...

Edited by jon- on Tuesday 4th August 10:52

More than likely it was stuck down with an ACM is why

[hardcastlephil]

Alex, thanks very much for your advice; much appreciated! I'm hoping to have the base down and tidy by tomorrow, ready for marking out a central chalk line.

I was going to buy a compound mitre foe the job - will this help me in any way?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-rage3-s-210mm-...

Thanks again,

Phil

[AlexJ12]

Assuming that's a mitre 'yes' as the screwfix website seems to be down at present but surely you could borrow one for doing the cuts as you will only need it occasionaly.

Although I think your money would be better spent here when doing the borders..

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details...

I have no idea how good that plunge saw is but for £180 its better then spending £400 odd on a festool TS55 for 1 job.

I have no idea what wood your laying but be careful with some of the more exotic oily woods if you are going to use OSMO polyx Hard wax oil as it can react with oily timbers.

Preperation is key for laying but once you get going its quite easy..

Good luck

[AlexJ12]

My last install

Scotia was not my idea

Edited by AlexJ12 on Thursday 6th August 18:09

[eureno]

I know this thread is over 4 years old. But would appreciate if someone in the know could tell me if lecol 5500 dries to a solid substance or still flexible with heat chances etc ?

I am asking this cause I have put some of my reclaimed parquet blocks through the table saw in order to remove 5mm or so from the bottom and loose the bitumen layer at the same time.

However as it is only a table saw and I don’t have a planer thicknesser some of the blocks are not completely square.
Would I be able to use lecol 5500 to take the slack on the thinner side of the parquet block ?