Jimpreza

Hi folks. I am thinking about getting karndean flooring. Is it possible to lay it on top of tiles and do u have to take off the skirting boards. I want it to sit flush against the skirting boards but I dont want beading around the edges. Any other help would be appreciated.

Cheers Jimpreza

Zuby

It is not advised to lay on top of tiles as this will invalidate your warranty, as they're fully stuck you need to have a very smooth surface, ie. if its concrete its advised to latex level the floor or to ply if its floor boards. This is important as it will eventually show if you have a uneven surface.

There is no need to take off any skirting as its not real wood, they but up nicely. The beading around the premiter is not needed, its open to customers to choose their design.

Hope this helps.

Zuby

***Nemesis***

Got this in the dining room/hallway. Great stuff!

The installer just butted it up to the skirting board IIRC.

Zuby

its designed to be butted against the board.

Just make sure that its polished using their own polish at least once a year.

Jimpreza

Cheers for the replys guys. Is it possible to lay on top of my ceramic tiles if I put down a levelling compond first. i am thinking of ordering some Karndean next week off the internet then paying a fitter to lay it for me. Works out quite a bit cheaper than going into the local shops, just need to find a decent fitter now.

sti-04!!

Speak to Devildog, he has just had it fitted all over the house.

***Nemesis***

Mine's laid on a mix of old flagstones and concrete under a 2inch deep layer of latex levelling compond. The floor is now "flat" but not level. You can't play marbles on it

As it was a difficult fit (house is 200 years old, nothing is square or level) and there have been damp issues in that room I had the supplier do it to ensure we got the warranty.

Lee247

My floors had to be screeded twice to get them level enough to lay the Karndean. Looks fantastic though

House is over 100 years old, so everything is uneven

Tam the bam

If you are screeding over creamic tiles I'd use acrylic screed rather than a latex based one

As said above the tiles can be cut tight to the skirting as Karndean doesn't expand/contract like wood or laminate. Fit it yourself, you'll be surprised just how easy it is, and use Karndeans pressure sensitive adhisive with a fine notched trowel

Devildog

That was Amtico - but similar concept.

They are basically multi layer plastic laminate. Quite flexible so the floor must be flat. Best thing for you to do would be to lift the tiles and apply a levelling compound.

You could poor a leveling compound over the tiles, but you would be raising the level of the floor a fair bit.

If you bond the strips straight to the tiles, you will ultimately see depressions where the grout is.

ps - if you can, and I'm not just saying this because I did, but go for Amtico, the quality is just that bit higher.

Devildog

Oh, and no you don't have to remove the skirting although some fitters prefer it for the perfect finish.

Tam the bam

Devildog, not being funny but I'd choose Karndean over Amtico anyday as I've never seen Karndean shrink leaving unsightly black lines between the tiles liks some amtico tiles do. Karndean will look better in years to come if looked after properly, also if he's doing it DIY it's far easier to fit. I've done my fair share of Amtico jobs in the past as I'm a floorlayer to trade and I hate the stuff.

PS. If the fitter is half way decent there is absolutely no need to remove skirtings

Jimpreza

Cheers for all the info. Just gotta find a fitter now

Lee247

Where abouts are you. My fitters were superb
We've got Karndean and Amtico

Zuby

I would advise you to pop into your nearest authorised retailer as its not the cheapest stuff on the market and is designed to be down for a long time.

Where abouts are you based?

Reality

we used

Karndean Flooring, Quickstep, Pergo Laminate Flooring, Bamboo, Vinyl and Wood Flooring

To get our flooring and got a pal to lay it.

Did all the ply sub floor stuff etc - would recommend you try and use someone who's done Karndean / Amtico before as it's quite specialised.

NACRO

Is this lame-inate flooring?

Reality

more like vile-****

NACRO

Cheers I'd never heard of it having a mixture of solid stone, slate and real wood in my properties,

sti-04!!

Nacro,

Have i ever told you that you are my hero ????

Devildog

Nope nothing like it. Composite tiles/strips depending on style which is heated, then bonded to the floor (in the case of Amtico, anyway)

Ironically, perhaps, real wood would have been cheaper, but less hard wearing and more maintenance intensive with the two Rotts.

We do have slate tiles in the bathrooms, so I guess that redeems me to a degree

NACRO

I was really only trying to find out because I'd never heard of it and am interested as replacements in my tenanted flats which feature worst of the worst B&Q £5sq/m laminate flooring at the moment.

This stuff might turn out to be more cost effective long term.

Devildog

http://www.karndean.co.uk/newhome.asp

Site Selector

if you are looking at it seriously, drop me a pm - i know one of the commercial sales reps for Amtico, formerly Karndean, and I'll ask him who you should talk to for a discount.

Reality

probably too ricey for tenanted flats - the stuff's goood and tough but I wouldn't want some ****** living in the house and fooking it up as it would be pricey to replace - You'd probably have to replace the lot if one bit became knackered !

NACRO

Sadly I have no control over the sort of people that live there, they are credit checked and move in without me ever having seen them. The quality of them varies from fantastic to scum I would happily take contracts out on if it were legal.

Maybe this stuff isn't what I'm looking for.

Jimpreza

I live near middlesbrough mate

Devildog

Not at all Jasey, you can simply replace the damaged bit cheaply and effectively.

Reality

I went for this in the kitchen



Wouldn't fancy trying to lift one bit and put it back .

Tam the bam

Heated in which way?

Lee247

That's not too far, I am from Newcastle. PM me, I am seeing the Company tomorrow whose fitters I used I should say, today