Preparing the substrate for flooring installation
Naturally, you want your parquet, carpet or luxury vinyl flooring to have a long service life. For this reason, proper substrate preparation is absolutely essential before installing the flooring. Here, we will explain how it’s done and why it’s so important.
1. Check the subfloor
Not every floor is in such good condition that you can directly cover it with the new flooring of choice. Prior to installation, the subfloor should be carefully checked whether it is ready to receive flooring. If the surface is uneven, brittle or moist, this can later have a damaging effect on the flooring. The carpet may develop waves and bumps, cracks may appear in the PVC tiles, and parquet or cork may break in the tongue or groove area.
2. Clean the subfloor
As a general rule, the subfloor must always be thoroughly cleaned. It should be completely free of plaster, paint, oil or grease residues.
3. Prime the subfloor
Moisture from the substrate can cause damage to carpets, tiles and other kinds of flooring. It is therefore absolutely necessary to apply a barrier primer before installing the flooring. This effectively protects the subfloor against moisture, has a strengthening effect and binds remaining surface dust. Important: Only use very low-emission primers. If you look out for the EMICODE® seal, you will ensure a healthier living environment.
4. Smooth out uneven areas
Very uneven floors should also be levelled to provide a smooth surface. Various levelling compounds are available for this purpose. The choice of a suitable product depends on two things: firstly, on the height difference to be levelled, and secondly on the type of subfloor. The manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging can serve as a guide. But no matter which levelling compound you choose: it should always be a very low-emission, EMICODE®-certified product.
©Dmitry Kalinovsky/123rf.com
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