Subfloor Preparation & LVT Installation for Residential Property
Initial assessment of the property on St. Edyths Road in Sea Mills, Bristol, revealed significant subfloor challenges across the hallway, kitchen, utility room, dining area, and lounge. The timber subfloors contained numerous loose floorboards, while a distinct ridge running through the lounge created an uneven surface. Moving from the dining area into the kitchen and utility room required spanning a transition from wooden floorboards to a rough concrete base.
Subfloor Preparation & Structural Bridging
- Concrete Area Prep: Mechanical grinding was executed using a floor grinder equipped with a diamond disc attached to an H-class dust extractor.
- Timber Area & Transition: Loose floorboards were secured. 6mm SP101 flooring-grade plywood was installed over the timber floorboards using divergent staples spaced 2 inches apart along the perimeter and 4 inches across the centre. To eliminate movement between the differing subfloors, the plywood was extended 6 inches over the concrete section, where it was drilled, plugged, glued, and screwed to bridge the weak spot.
- Levelling & Micro-Screeding: The concrete subfloor was primed using ARDEX P51 acrylic primer and coated with 6mm of ARDEX NA latex smoothing compound to match the height of the plywood overlay. The floorboard ridge in the lounge was mechanically reduced and feathered using ARDEX Feather Finish. ARDEX Feather Finish was then applied across all plywood joints, followed by a full skim coat over the entire plywood area.
- Final Surface Fine-Tuning: The entire subfloor was mechanically sanded to identify remaining minor surface discrepancies. Key areas, including the threshold where the lounge and diner meet the kitchen, received localized skim coats of ARDEX Feather Finish to complete the preparation prior to fitting.
LVT Installation & Finishing Details
- Open-Plan Living & Utility Areas: Elements Inspirations LVT (Traditional / Barn Oak) in a large herringbone pattern was installed through the lounge, dining area, kitchen, and utility room. The product features a 0.7mm wear layer for extended wear resistance.
- Hallway: Amtico Décor Victorian-style LVT featuring a 1.0mm wear layer was fitted throughout the hallway.
- Adhesive & Fitting Methods: All LVT was set using high-temperature adhesive and rolled using a 50kg heavy roller to secure complete bond strength.
- Entrance Matting: A commercial-grade entrance mat was set flush at the primary entryway, ensuring smooth transitions between the matting, the Amtico hallway tiles, and the adjacent herringbone LVT.
